Between the Lines
by RemyW
Summary: Ever wonder what happened between the museum hustle and Nick's graduation? Filled with hilarious banter and heartwarming moments, follow Nick and Judy as they learn to trust one another and build a friendship despite their differences. As their bond deepens, tensions rise and chemistry flares. But they're just really good friends, right? Cover by TheWaywardKid
1. Chapter 1-1: Bye Bye, Bellwether

**Quick Author's Note: I'm Trying to Redo some of the earlier chapters, since my writing style has vastly changed; I believe for the better. No details or story elements have been changed in this chapter, the wording has just been polished up a bit.**

 **For New Readers: Welcome! Please enjoy.**

 **~Remy**

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" _It's called a hustle sweetheart. Boom."_

Flashing red and blue light filled the immense lobby of the Zootopia Museum of Natural History, the constant wail of sirens a testament to the numerous ZPD cruisers parked just outside the building. Inside, a menagerie of mammals gathered, all adorned in the deep blue uniform of the Zootopia Police Department. An almost overwhelming atmosphere of hostility filled the room, focused solely upon two sheep. The larger ovine, a ram, had already surrendered and was currently being hoof-cuffed by a large, and clearly pissed rhinoceros. However, it was the smaller of the two sheep, a small and dowdy appearing ewe, on whom every outraged and malignant pair of eyes fixated.

Without sparing a further glance towards either sheep, the hulking figure of a very unamused, irate cape buffalo bull stomped past the other officers, bellowing, "HOPPS!"

"Over here sir! We're trapped in this hole!", came a tiny voice beneath the large mammal's hooves.

Following the sound, the bull found himself at the edge of a sizeable exhibit lowered beneath the main floor. Glancing down, he saw a small gray bunny leaning heavily on a rather smug looking red fox.

"Hopps, am I correct in assuming that you have NOT in fact been mauled by that fox? A fox who I might add, does not appear to be savage.", the bull questioned.

"Well I don't know about 'savage', but I have been told I can be quite 'Wilde' at times", the male fox quipped with a smarmy grin. Meanwhile, the female bunny looked positively horrified, using her spare paw to cover her eyes before dragging it down her muzzle.

Paws clutching the male a little tighter, the bunny's ears plummeted behind her back as she prepared for what was coming. With an outwardly friendly smile, one that was tainted by the heavy feeling of danger that suddenly filled the air, the buffalo turned his attention to the fox.

"My most _**sincere**_ apologies fox. What a terrible mistake on my part. I didn't realize that you were also named 'Hopps'. That is your name, _**isn't it**_?", the large male queried, menace dripping from his tone.

"Well, we haven't quite decided yet if it's going to be Hopps or Hopps-Wilde. Personally, I wish she'd just pick something so we can send out the invitations already.", the fox smirked, literally causing the bunny's jaw to drop. A few snickers could be heard behind the buffalo, who quickly shot a withering glare towards those responsible, before returning his attention to the infuriating canid.

"Nick! Shut up, right now!", the small female hissed, fixing her companion with a glare of her own.

"SHUT YOUR TINY MOUTHS RIGHT NOW! AND SO HELP ME FOX, ONE MORE WORD OUT OF LINE, AND I _**WILL**_ MUZZLE YOU!", the bull bellowed, raising the neck hair of every mammal present.

Her ears unable to lower any further, the bunny cast a worried glance towards her companion. Externally the fox maintained his smug grin and confident demeanor, but concerned amethysts saw the cracks in his façade. Russet ears fell, pinned to his scalp, his tail curling tightly around his feet, wrapping around the bunny's ankles in the process. His paw, previously holding her waist very gently, tightened; long ears detected the increase in his heart rate, now a rapid staccato, while her proximity allowed her to feel every shuddering breath.

"Nick. Nick, it's going to be okay. He wouldn't actually… And I'd _**never**_ let him do that. I promise.", she whispered soothingly.

Almost imperceptibly, the fox swallowed his nervousness. The mammals above would never see how the buffalo's words got to him, only the bunny beside him.

"Yeah. I'm fine, perfectly fine, Carrots. Just a-a little winded from all the 'running for our lives' we've been doing lately.", the fox yawned theatrically. "I think I'll just leave the talking to you for a bit, before Ol' Buffalo Butt blows a gasket.", he winked.

Easily seeing through the lie, Judy decided not to say anything, _'At least for now.'_ , she thought. Nick was liable to be embarrassed and she didn't want to push him further away, she'd just gotten him back.

Oblivious to the drama taking place below him, the buffalo lowered his voice, ensuring that only the fox and rabbit would hear his next words, "Now then Hopps, if you would kindly explain _**exactly**_ what is going on. Why did dispatch receive a call from Mayor Bellwether claiming that you were being attacked by a savage fox, when that is _**clearly**_ not the case? And what is the meaning of the text message Clawhauser received approximately twenty minutes ago?" Upon these words, the massive bull appeared concerned. "Hopps, do you have proof of this conspiracy? Much as I would love an explanation for recent events, I can't very well arrest the sitting mayor of Zootopia without any evidence."

A wide grin split the bunny's face, her eyes lighting up and ears springing upright again.

"Sir, we _**absolutely**_ have evidence."

.

 _Click…_

" _So that's it? Prey fears predators and you stay in power?"_

" _Yeah, pretty much."_

" _It won't work!"_

" _Fear_ _ **always**_ _works! And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way."_

… _Click… "And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way."_

… _Click... "Bye bye, bunny."_

 _._

Steely brown eyes widened in surprise, "A-hem, well then. Good work you two."

After casting a careful glance behind him, the buffalo spoke again, "Now, this goes without saying, but Hopps, hold onto that tape VERY carefully until it can be collected as evidence."

Nodding briskly in acknowledgement, the rabbit discreetly tucked the carrot pen away, careful to ensure that it would not be lost accidently.

Turning his back to the exhibit and the mammals within, the impressed look melted away, leaving behind a furious chief of police. Marching away from the exhibit, nostrils flaring and malice in his eyes, Bogo approached the little ewe. Pulling out an appropriately sized set of paw-cuffs, he roughly yanked the ewe's arms behind her back.

"Just what do you think you are doing!", the ewe cried indignantly, "In case you've forgotten, I'm the _**mayor**_ of Zootopia! You can't do this to me!"

"Dawn Bellwether, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…"

A malicious fire lit the grey-green eyes of the ewe, "I'll have your job for this Bogo. If you think that recording means anything, you're dead wrong! I'm the mayor of Zootopia, and this city is 90% prey; do you _**honestly**_ believe that I'll be convicted? For what? Making Zootopia safer? Good luck with that; I'll be out and running this city in less than an hour! And you? You'll be lucky to get a job collecting trash!"

Continuing as though the crazed sheep had not interrupted, Bogo finished reading her Lemuranda rights,

"Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me? After all, you continuing to incriminate yourself just makes it easier for me to take out the trash."

"Fuck off.", she sneered.

"Well then, in that case. DELGATO! GRIZZOLI!", the bull bellowed.

A large male lion and an even larger male polar bear approached.

"Officers, _**kindly**_ escort our soon to be _**ex**_ -mayor to a cruiser. And do make sure she's put in one of our 'comfiest' cells.", the bull ordered. "DISMISSED!"

Grinning wickedly down at the little ewe, the lion roughly shoved the small female forward, his claws biting ever so slightly through her wool. And suddenly, it occurred to Bellwether that they knew, these predators KNEW that she had tried to destroy them, turn the whole city against them. They were glaring down at her, teeth bared, quietly snarling, the sound reverberating through her bones and electrifying every instinct she had as a prey mammal. Her eyes widened as she began to scream in pure terror.

"YOU'D TRUST MY SAFETY TO THESE, THESE _**SAVAGES**_! THEY'LL KILL ME!"

Her momentum temporarily stopped, a large tawny paw moved to shove her forward again. However, the sight of the razor-sharp claws, each capable of rending delicate flesh, heading straight towards her vulnerable neck caused the small female to emit a terrified shriek, eyes rolling back into her head. Dawn Bellwether had fainted.

Rolling amber eyes, the brawny male lion hoisted the little ewe over his shoulder, continuing towards the ZPD cruisers parked outside.

…..

"Hello up there!"

"You know, as novel as it is to see a room full of stink-eyes that _**AREN'T**_ focused on me; there's kinda-sorta a bleeding bunny down here, you know. So, if it's not a big deal, think one of you highly trained and highly intelligent mammals could maybe grab a ladder and get us out of this death-trap already?"

Every gaze was drawn suddenly into the depths of the underground exhibit, and to the two small mammals within. Still looking smug, the male fox was tenderly supporting the small female bunny, who was clinging tightly to his side, trying poorly to stifle a laugh.

Turning to the bunny, the fox quipped, "Honestly Carrots, I'd have thought for sure that after a couple millennia, you rabbits would have learned to _**AVOID**_ landing in pitfall traps."

"Har har. Says the great and mighty predator… who's ALSO in the pitfall.", laughed the little bunny.

The imposing figure of Chief Bogo once again approached the edge of the exhibit. Looking down upon the small duo, just a hint of concern colored his voice, "Hopps, I thought you hadn't been attacked? How badly are you injured?"

The rabbit's ears quivered, slightly drooping behind her back.

"I wasn't attacked sir. Well, not by Nick anyway. But Bellwether's goons were chasing us, and… well… I tripped over a museum prop, a tusk. I gouged my leg, but it's not so bad. Nick wrapped it up, and the bleeding has already stopped. I'm fine… But I would like to get out of here as soon as possible."

"She's lying. The wound is deep and she needs medical attention, probably stitches.", the fox deadpanned, quickly dodging the flailing bunny paws that attempted to grab his muzzle.

Unamused, Bogo turned towards the gathered officers, "WILL SOMEBODY GET A LADDER ALREADY!"

Returning his gaze to the two trapped mammals, Bogo focused on the infuriating fox.

"So fox, I take it you are Nick?", he asked, snorting heavily.

"Indeed I am, _**buffalo**_.", the fox replied, that damned smirk still etched firmly upon his muzzle.

The buffalo snorted once more, "Well Nick, thank you. Thank you for taking care of my officer, and for helping her; once again so it would seem."

Startled, Nick's emerald eyes widened slightly due to the sincerity of the buffalo's words.

"Umm. You're welcome sir. Couldn't let anything bad happen to my partner after all."

This time, it was Bogo's turn to look surprised; this was the first time the fox had spoken without sarcasm.

"Holy crap! Twice in one night! And here I was thinking your face was permanently paralyzed to look so pissed off. Like maybe you'd gotten some bad Botox or something. Hey Carrots, I think we've broken him! Now he can be a real mammal with more than two emotions!"

… And there was that damned muzzle going off again.

"SO HELP ME FOX, WHEN I GET YOU OUT OF THAT HOLE…."

The rest of the buffalo's tirade was lost as sparkling emeralds met worried amethyst eyes.

"You know Nick, maybe you shouldn't try to irritate the chief so much… Since you're going to be applying to join the ZPD and all.", the little doe whispered.

All humor gone, Nick's eyes widened in horror,

"Oh crap. Hehe, yeah, maybe I should tone it down a bit… at least until I get accepted into the academy, huh?"


	2. Chapter 1-2: Still in the Hole

**Hi everyone! So I have to say, I'm so glad that the reviews have all been so positive. I did slightly edit Chapter 1 based on the suggestions that were made in your reviews.**

 **Regarding cussing:** **I did go back and change Nick's dialogue to remove what I determined was an unnecessary cuss. But I promise, the cussing in Chapter 1 was well calculated. Zootopia is a FANTASTIC movie, I can't stress that enough; but it is rated for children. In the real world, there are individuals who cuss, as well as individuals who do not; and I really want my story to reflect this realism, while remaining true to the characters. As the story progresses, there will undoubtedly be some characters who could make a sailor blush, but I will limit the cussing to dialogue. Fair warning though, I don't consider "pissed" or "damned" to be true curse words.**

 **Shout out to Selaxes:** **Thank you so much for the advice! After splitting the character dialogue into separate paragraphs, I think that Chapter 1 does flow better.**

 **Also, sorry this chapter is a little short; I'll probably make it up in the next one.**

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 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Zootopia, Disney does. Enjoy.**

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"Hey Carrots. Can I ask you a question?"

"Nick, you already know why it's taking them so long. Stop complaining. At least for 5 minutes. Please.", sighed the exasperated bunny.

"Aww Fluff, you wound me.", replied the male fox with overly exaggerated offense, "Besides, what makes you think that I was going to complain?".

"Oh I don't know Nick, maybe the last half hour? Of which you spent the whole time complaining that we're still stuck in this hole. They already told us that they have to wait for the museum custodian to come unlock the supply closet. You know that. You've been told at least a half dozen times.", came the bunny's irritated reply.

"Also, I'm fairly certain that if you ask Bogo one more time, he's going to make sure to leave you in here… Right after he strangles you.", at this last thought, the little bunny released a tiny giggle, while the fox merely rolled his eyes.

"Pfft, he'd have to catch me first. Besides, it wasn't even ten minutes ago that you were claiming that YOU'D be the one to strangle me. Make up your mind Rabbit."

Judy sighed again,

"Speaking of the chief, and your uncanny ability to raise his blood pressure; I thought you were going to try to 'tone it down' for now? Remember? At least until you get accepted into the academy?".

"What can I say Carrots? I tried. But who am I to deny these wonderful mammals the glorious revelations that come from the mouth of Nick Wilde?", he replied with that infuriatingly smug grin.

"Also, I'm pretty sure that Mr. Perma-Scowl up there doesn't NEED any help raising his blood pressure. I'm fairly certain he's the kind of mammal who gets pissed off when a breeze ruffles his fur the wrong way.", continued the fox.

"You're completely incorrigible. You know that right?", queried the smaller female.

"Do I know that?", the fox began, as the bunny started to smile.

"Yes. Yes I do.", he finished, just as his companion punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Nick exclaimed with a somewhat surprised look, ' _I really need to figure out how such a tiny bunny hurts so much'_ , he thought to himself.

Nick continued to rub his bicep, while looking thoughtful. Judy just smiled to herself, at least he was being quiet, for now, she thought wryly. Up above them came the noise of over a dozen ZPD officers conducting business; collecting evidence, interviewing the museum security guard, reviewing surveillance footage, all while Chief Bogo bellowed orders in his deep, booming voice. The chief was furious that it was taking so long for the museum custodian to arrive; and Nick REALLY wasn't helping to improve the chief's demeanor.

Despite her joking, Judy wasn't really afraid that Bogo would injure Nick, the chief was a professional after all; she was however, afraid that if Nick kept it up, he would blow whatever slim chance he had at being allowed into the ZPD academy. From experience, Judy knew that admittance to the academy was only granted after an excruciatingly thorough background check; and while Nick had never been convicted of so much as a traffic violation, Judy knew that he was listed as a mammal of interest in a couple different case files. Nick also had a sealed juvenile record; and although the details would remain confidential, it still wouldn't look good when the background investigator discovered it. Lastly, there was the "small" matter of Nick's decades long tax evasion. It'd only taken Judy a few hours to discover Nick's tax forms, and to make the accurate deduction that he was not making "$0" a year, as he had claimed. Judy shuddered when she thought of what might happen to Nick if his misdeeds were discovered; she'd threatened him with five years' jail time, and a background investigation could make that threat a reality. The way Judy saw it, they really only had one chance at getting Nick accepted into the academy… and it would require Chief Bogo's assistance. If only that dumb fox would stop jumping at EVERY opportunity to irritate the already furious buffalo, they MIGHT stand a pawpsicle's chance in Sahara Square at pulling it off.

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"Sooooo, Carrots. About that question."

Judy released her biggest sigh yet,

"Fine Nick. Ask your question."

"Really?! I can ask my question? I mean, if you're really okay with it Carrots.", the fox teased.

"Sweet cheese and crackers Nick! Just ask your question already!", Judy half-shouted.

"Well, if you really insist. But I think the boys and girls in blue up there might want to hear this too.", Nick replied with a wink. Raising his voice, so as to be heard by the mammals above, Nick asked,

"Hey! ZPD's finest! Wanna hear a joke?"

"Nick. No!", warned the little grey bunny, with a look of horror.

Although some of the mammals above were obviously trying to ignore the fox, Chief Bogo being one, it was clear that, intentionally or not, every ear in the room was trained on the small fox below their feet. Meanwhile, the bunny made a last ditch effort to reach the fox's treacherous mouth, and managed to half climb half claw her way up his chest; desperately trying to force his muzzle closed. However, Nick just gently slid her back down, and held her tighter to his side, thoroughly trapping her. Giving her an amused glance, he teased,

"Careful Darling, you'll hurt your leg. You know, again."

"So anyway, that joke.", Nick continued,

"How long does it take a dozen police officers to rescue two mammals from a hole?"

Judy groaned. Nick smirked,

"Normally I'd say as soon as they finished their donut break. But APPARENTLY it actually takes over 45 minutes, and counting.", groused the fox. Over a pawful of snickers from above, the chief's thunderous voice sounded,

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH FOX!"


	3. Chapter 1-3: Hallelujah!

**Wow. First off, I'd like to say thank you to everybody who took the time to read my story, and an EXTRA big thank you to those who reviewed! Seriously guys, it makes my day reading the reviews. :-)**

 **Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps: I just have to say, I can't believe you've read my story! I absolutely LOVE your work!**

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 **Okay, now that I'm done gushing for now. I'm sorry for posting another short chapter. But hey, glass half full! The chapter is also out a little early. So without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 3: Hallelujah!**

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"Hey Carrots?"

Releasing yet another weary sigh, the rabbit answered,

"Yes Nick?"

…

After a few moments had passed in silence, she turned to her companion; and was at first shocked, and then immediately overcome with worry. Nick's ears were splayed and slightly lowered, his eyes were downcast, eyebrows furrowed, his characteristic smirk was absent, instead, the corners of his mouth were downturned, and his muzzle was pointed towards the ground. Since they were still trapped in the hole, Judy knew that none of the mammals above them would be able to see Nick's change in demeanor; but to Judy, the look on Nick's face was as plain as day.

Judy knew that look. The last time she'd seen it, she and Nick had been surrounded by massive polar bears, facing down the most feared crime boss in Tundratown; the time when Mr. Big had shamed Nick for his past betrayal. Nick looked the very picture of guilt and remorse; and Judy didn't understand why. Gazing up at Nick with concerned eyes, and gently placing a furred-paw on his forearm, Judy was glad to see that while Nick still flinched at the contact, this time he didn't pull away. When he finally met her gaze, he gave a small shrug, and a half-hearted smirk. Quietly, almost in a whisper, he began,

"I'm sorry Judy. I know I was being insufferable, and that I should have just shut up a while ago. I know I should be trying to make a good impression; and I know it's a poor excuse, it's just, I'm honestly pretty nervous with all these cops around. So I'm sorry for being an insufferable fox."

"You know, you really are a dumb fox.", Judy began with a small chuckle, "I never said that you were insufferable, just incorrigible. Your constant back-talking and sarcasm is worth suffering through, as long as it means you're still my friend. And besides, you better get used to being around cops, if you're going to be one."

Judy was looking up at him with a bright smile on her face, and a mischievous twinkle in her amethyst eyes.

"What? Do I have something on my nose? Cause you know, it WOULD be pretty hard for me to see the underside of my nose; it's so far away after all.", the fox quipped.

The corners of Judy's lips curled, as she fought back, but it was no use; she began to giggle, which erupted into a full-belly laugh. With tears in her eyes, she attempted to respond to her friend's ridiculous question,

"Way to ruin the moment Nick!", Judy managed through the giggles, "You are COMPLETELY ridiculous."

Breaking into a fresh peal of laughter, Judy leaned forward with her paws on her knees, as Nick merely gazed upon his handiwork with pride.

"Hehehehe *snort*"

Judy suddenly froze, with her ears perked high and eyes wide. A heartbeat later, her ears fell behind her back, her eyes widened even further, and her paws shot up to cover her mouth in pure horror. Slowly, she shifted her gaze up to look at Nick… Who paused for only a brief moment, before his face scrunched up and his tongue slipped between his front teeth, as he broke out in the same side-splitting laugh that he had at the DMV.

"Okay Fluff. That is SERIOUSLY too cute! Who knew you had it in you to be even MORE adorable; how is that even possible?!", Nick exclaimed once he stopped guffawing.

"First off, don't call me cute. Second, like your laugh is seriously any better? You look completely ridiculous, when you start cackling.", Judy angrily replied.

"Well, if we're going to play THAT game. First off, I'm a fox, foxes don't cackle; that's jackals, learn your canids rabbit. Second, I'll have you know that my laugh has been described as very charming and contagious.", Nick responded in a pretentious tone.

"Oh yes, contagious… Just like the plague.", Judy giggled,

"And seriously, you do look pretty funny when you laugh. Your face gets all scrunched up, and you stick your tongue out.", Judy smirked, mimicking Nick's face to demonstrate.

Holding his paw up to his chest, and schooling his face into the picture of indignation, Nick huffed,

"Madam. I'll have you know that I do no such thing. Why the very thought of such a ridiculous…. What are you doing?", Nick finished in confusion.

Judy was taping the side of her phone, while looking incredibly smug, eyes half-lidded, with one paw on her hip, which jutted out to one side; Nick's eyes widened to saucers once he saw what was on her screen. It was a picture of him, making the MOST ridiculous face he'd ever seen. His tongue was out! How?! Why hadn't anyone ever told him?! Nick's ears splayed, and his shoulders drooped. Gulping audibly, he shifted his gaze to the evil little bunny holding the evidence of his humiliation.

"How did you get that picture?", he suspiciously inquired.

"Well, you were so busy laughing, I doubt you would have noticed if Pigcasso himself had decided to paint a picture of you; much less a bunny with a smart phone taking a quick picture.", came her smug reply with a wink.

Nick looked both impressed and mortified,

"You are a clever EVIL little bunny."

Suddenly, as though descending from the heavens themselves, the end of a long ladder dropped next to Nick and Judy. Nick was the first to respond,

"Well. Hallelujah!"


	4. Chapter 1-4: Ascension, Dissention

**As always, thanks to everyone who reads this story; and particularly those who review. We've made it to just over a thousand views! So exciting! Now to make it to 50 followers ;-)**

 **So, couple of things:**

 **1. UPDATE: The issue with the reviews has been fixed! All past reviews are up for everyone to see, and I can finally see some that were previously hidden; so yay!**

 **2\. Little bit of animal trivia for ya'll: Badgers are very cleanly animals; they keep their burrows clean, and even dig latrines. Which is why I made the museum custodian a badger. :-)**

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 **So anyway, as always, please enjoy, and reviews are greatly cherished.**

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The sudden appearance of the long-awaited ladder was an absolute Godsend; which had Nick positively jumping for joy, on the inside anyway. On the outside he was still the same smug fox who had spent the better part of the last hour purposefully enraging the chief of police. Although admittedly, Nick had been mouthing off mostly to hide his frayed nerves. It had been a long, weird, and exhausting day; culminating of course, in the con-fox being surrounded by police officers. Great, just great. Just what every mammal who engaged in activities of questionable legality dreamed of, being closed in on by the Fuzz.

Regardless, Nick was still grateful that his stay in the "Pit of Doom" was coming to a close. Soon enough, he'd be able to slip away from the police mammals, and curl up to sleep. Of course, at some point he'd have to deal with the repercussions of the last eight and a half hours.

For now, however, a more immediate problem decided to rear its ugly little head.

The ladder was designed for small mammals, and the smallest officer present, a wolf, was at least three times the weight the ladder would be able to hold. Then Judy tried to climb the ladder herself…

"Are you CRAZY Fluff?!", Nick exclaimed, before immediately scooping Judy off the ladder and back into his arms.

"No Nick, I'm just tired of being stuck in this hole. Look at the size of the ladder; nobody is going to be able to come down to help me out.", Judy's eyes filled with determination,

"I can do this! I just won't use my injured leg, alright?"

As Judy tried to squirm free of Nick's grasp, he just rolled his eyes,

"If you think for even a moment, that I'm going to allow you to risk further injuring yourself, then you ARE crazy Rabbit. Now stop squirming, I have an idea."

Approaching the ladder, Nick looked above them to the police mammals on the floor above. Calling out,

"Hey! Five-O! If I hold unto the ladder, and this lovely little bunny, think one of you big strong mammals could give us a lift out of here?"

There was a moment of clear confusion amongst the police mammals; until the fox stepped forward unto the bottom rung of the ladder, and tightly hooked one arm around a rung, and the other arm around the little bunny who still clung to his side. Suddenly realizing what exactly the fox wanted, Officer Francine Trunkaby approached the pit. Stooping low, the female elephant gingerly wrapped the tip of her trunk around the tiny ladder, and lifted.

Judy found herself staring in awe as she felt herself rising effortlessly from the hole. Glancing up at Nick, she couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face,

"Clever Fox."

* * *

As soon as Nick and Judy were fully clear of the pit, two police wolves rushed forward to assist them, one of them reaching for Judy. But Judy continued to cling to Nick's shirt, earning a quizzical head tilt from the grey and white wolf who'd attempted to help her. Carefully scenting the air around the two smaller mammals, the wolf's head cocked further as a look of utter confusion settled unto his face. Shrugging nonchalantly, Nick began to carefully lead Judy away, as the two wolves exchanged puzzled looks. Leaning forward, he whispered into her ear,

"Eh, Timber wolves."

"Nick!", Judy exclaimed, quickly attempting to elbow the offending fox;

"That is SO rude! Wolford was just trying to help me.", Judy admonished.

"And yet you didn't let him.", deadpanned the fox.

"Couldn't bear to let go of your foxy hero even for a moment, huh Carrots?", Nick finished with a salacious wink.

For a brief moment, Judy was rendered completely speechless. Her cheeks felt much too warm, and she felt embarrassment threatening to overtake her. Wait, why was she embarrassed? Why were her cheeks so warm? It was just Nick. Nick, her friend.

So why did she suddenly feel the need to leap right back into that exhibit and crawl underneath the biggest fake rock she could find? For that matter, why did she feel so reluctant to leave his side?

Finally calming down a little, and realizing that she should probably reply before the lull in conversation stretched into awkward silence, Judy gave a small chuckle;

"Heh, you wish. Just making sure to keep a close eye on you Slick. Wouldn't want one of these officers to mistake you for a shifty lowlife, and throw your tail in jail.", Judy replied with a wink of her own.

"Well look at you, Officer Hopps! With rhymes like that, Dr. Meuss himself would be proud.", Nick joked.

…

"I hate you.", Judy huffed with exasperation.

"Do you hate me? No, no you do not.", Nick replied with a smug grin.

* * *

"Uhhh, Nick. Where are we going?", Judy asked.

"I'm pretty sure there's going to be an ambulance waiting outside. So that's where we're headed.", Nick calmly replied.

"Nick, we need to report to Chief Bogo first.", argued the little bunny.

"Fluff, you're still injured, and you've been trapped in that hole for over an hour. I'm taking you to the ambulance. No arguing.", countered Nick.

*Sniffle*

Looking down, Nick noticed Judy pouting up at him… with the BIGGEST, SADDEST, most ADORABLE amethyst eyes he had ever seen. He could feel his heart splintering into a thousand pieces with every second he gazed upon her face.

Dramatically clutching his chest, Nick grimaced.

"Okay, okay. Enough with the face Carrots.", Nick sighed,

"Geez, that face should really be outlawed. Who knew such a cute little bunny could kill with her eyes alone?"

"Don't call me….", Judy began.

"Yeah, yeah. 'Don't call you cute'. Better get used to it Fluff. You're cute, and I have no problem reminding you of that fact.", Nick retorted.

"Come on Officer Hopps. Let's get you to Chief Buffalo Butt, that way we can finally get that leg taken care of."

* * *

As they approached Chief Bogo, Judy noticed that the large buffalo was busily engaged in conversation with a male badger who, judging by his unkempt fur and bleary eyes, was likely the museum custodian. The smaller male was clearly unhappy to have been woken in the middle of the night, and seemed to be voicing his objection to Bogo.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a nocturnal mammal, such as myself, to adjust to a day shift? Or how easy it is for such a mammal to revert back to his natural circadian rhythm, once his schedule has been interrupted?", the badger angrily questioned with raised hackles.

"Sir, as I've told you, two mammals were trapped in an exhibit; and we couldn't very well wait for your shift to begin to free them. Again, the ZPD would like to thank you for your cooperation, and for your time.", Bogo replied as calmly as he could; however, Judy didn't miss the tight-muzzled smile, or slight twitch of the buffalo's left eye. Bogo was pissed.

All of a sudden, Judy seemed reluctant to approach the large male. Sensing her hesitation, Nick gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze before approaching the chief.

Waiting for a brief pause in the badger's current tirade against the cape buffalo, Nick quickly interjected,

"Mr. Chief Bogo Sir! Miss Hopps is insisting on giving you her report before she seeks medical treatment. So if you could, either take her report quickly, or tell her to get her leg taken care of first. Personally, I'd prefer the latter."

"Excuse me, fox! Did you not notice that I was already talking to this mammal? Or are you too stupid or rude to care?", raged the badger, "Find another cop to bother."

Nick had a split second before Judy was lunging at the badger, luckily he managed to hold onto her to prevent her from falling forward.

"WHY YOU BACKWARDS, SMALL-MINDED, IGNORANT….", Judy began shouting before Nick quietly shushed her.

Gently rubbing her shoulders, and taking a moment to calm the quivering bunny; Nick turned towards the hateful badger,

"Excuse me, badger. Did you not notice that this bunny is injured? Or are you too stupid or rude to care?", mimicked the fox.

The badger was stunned silent; right before he snarled.

Hoping to defuse the situation, Chief Bogo quickly intervened, albeit through gritted teeth;

"As I've said sir, the ZPD thanks you for your cooperation and for your time. However, I really must attend to these two. You're free to return home now."

Before the badger could get another word in, Bogo turned his back on the smaller male, and motioned for a uniformed hippo to escort the badger away.

Turning his attention to the two smaller mammals, the chief waited until the badger was out of sight to begin. Holding out his hoof, the chief gruffly requested,

"Hopps, the recording."

"Right, the recording!", Judy scrambled to hand over the carrot pen.

Briefly giving the small object an unamused glance, Bogo dropped the recorder into an evidence bag, which he promptly sealed, dated, initialed, and tucked into a case being offered by one of the rhinoceros officers. Quickly dating and signing a chain of custody log, to ensure the legal validity of the evidence; Bogo again turned his attention to the fox and rabbit before him;

"Hopps, an officer will come to collect your statement after your wound has been treated. Report to the ambulance immediately."

"But sir…", Judy earnestly began.

"AMBULANCE!", bellowed the chief.

Judy flinched, her ears drooping down her back and covering Nick's arm. Nick however, merely gave the chief one last smug look, and a cocky, two-fingered salute; before haughtily turning tail, and making for the exit.

"God I hate that fox", Bogo grumbled to himself.


	5. Chapter 1-5: Weird

**Hey everybody! As always, a great big "Thank You" to everyone who reads my story! An extra big "Thank You" to Selaxes for editing; this chapter looks so much better now.**

 **So, let's get the announcements out of the way:**

 **1\. As I updated in Chapter 4, the issue with the reviews has been fixed. Yay! So I've been able to see all the lovely reviews that ya'll posted, and I'm SO HAPPY! Thanks for all the wonderful support guys :-) Cimar, that is some particularly high praise; I definitely have my doubts about that, but I'm super-thrilled and happy all the same.**

 **2\. So, I've decided that I'm going to try to update every other day; that way I can save a few chapters for when school starts up again next week. Don't worry though, I'll make sure to update AT LEAST once a week, even when school does start.**

 **3\. There's WAY less humor and a lot more touchy-feely goodness this chapter. Hope ya'll still enjoy it. Not gonna lie, I see the next chapter being pretty serious too; but I'll try to include more of that humor ya'll seem to be enjoying.**

 **4\. There's an Easter-Egg in this chapter, so keep an eye out, and let me know if you find it ;-)**

 **5\. Update (04-24-17) Small correction to this chapter, the press conference was 2 months ago, not 1.**

* * *

 **Well, here's Chapter 5: Weird 0.o Please Enjoy. :-D**

* * *

Judy winced as the paramedic examined the blood-saturated handkerchief binding her leg. The adrenaline had worn off at least a half-hour ago; and since then, a dull, throbbing pain had persisted. But Judy was determined to prove that she was more than just a weak little bunny; so no complaining, wincing, or flinching she kept telling herself. Occasionally the pain would flare up causing the bunny to tighten her grip on the fox who had been supporting her, both physically and emotionally, since that tusk had torn into her calf. But she didn't cry out, and she tried her best to hide the pain.

However, the moment the paramedic pried the cloth from her wound, fresh, stabbing pain had shot up her leg; causing the little bunny to let out a sob, as her eyes began to fill with tears. Then she felt warmth surround her, as russet arms pulled her backwards into green Pawaiian print. Turning her head, Judy buried her face in Nick's chest, as he began to soothingly stroke her long ears, which had fallen down her back the moment the bandage had come off.

"Shhhhh. It's okay Carrots. There we go, deep breath. It's all right. I've got you," Nick soothed.

"Th-Thanks, Nick," Judy released between quiet sobs.

Martin Sharpe, a sleek and handsomely patterned ocelot, gazed at the pair with ardent curiosity. Like every predator in Zootopia, Martin was well aware of who this little bunny was. Judy Hopps, the ZPD's first rabbit officer, the mammal who had split open the missing mammal case in less than 48 hours, and had been a source of great pride for every small mammal around, himself included. The same mammal who, two months ago, had torn the city in half. The same mammal who was the cause of all the recent stress and hardship in his life.

Martin had been lucky to hold onto his job up until this point. However, his work hours had been drastically reduced, and his paycheck was barely enough to make ends meet. The city was 90% prey, and no prey animal wanted a predator paramedic, not when the blood might prove "tempting". Practically every mammal in Zootopia had seen the footage from that press conference, the one in which this very bunny had blatantly blamed the biology of predators for the savage attacks. Martin could hardly believe his eyes, as that same bunny currently snuggled deeper into the arms of the fox who held her.

Martin had been so angry at the rabbit who, in his mind, had been the catalyst for the recent surge in predator woes. However, now that he had met her, he was just confused. The gray rabbit certainly didn't seem to be a pred-hater, not with the way she was acting. Heck, she'd even been very friendly towards him, and hadn't raised an objection about a predator treating her wound.

Temporarily ignoring the curious display of affection between the two mammals seated on the ambulance bench, the ocelot interrupted their "private" moment in a professional voice. "Miss Hopps, I'm going to begin by cutting away your jeans; and then I need to disinfect the wound, before binding it in sterile gauze. Unfortunately, you're going to need stitches, but that will be taken care of once we get you to the hospital."

Judy nodded in understanding, and seemed to physically brace herself. The fox meanwhile, seemed to notice that they had an audience, and quickly removed his paw from her ears; however, he didn't relinquish his hold on the small bunny.

Reaching into his trauma kit, Martin quickly grabbed a pair of gauze scissors, and began to cut the rabbit's jeans away from her leg. Once he'd removed the excess fabric, he got his first good look at the laceration, releasing a short whistle. "All things considered, you got pretty lucky, Miss Hopps. Your tibia prevented the wound from being any deeper, so it's pretty shallow, and no tendons, ligaments, or major vessels were hit. Couple of stitches, a few weeks off your leg, and you should be right as rain," the ocelot reassured.

"Hear that Fluff? You'll be back to chasing down bad guys in no time," Nick snickered. "Just try not to run into any tusks next time."

"Har Har Nick. Your wit knows no bounds," Judy scoffed.

After retrieving the rest of his supplies, Martin interjected again,"Alright Miss Hopps, first I'm going to irrigate the wound with some saline, and then some Betadine. Just focus on my eyes, okay?"

Nodding again, Judy met the paramedic's gaze…and was met by the biggest, most mesmerizing amber eyes she had ever seen. She was so captivated with the small cat's golden gaze that she barely registered the slight sting as he flushed, disinfected, and dressed her wound.

"Okay Miss Hopps, we're finished here. Let's get you to the hospital," stated the paramedic.

"Uh, okay," Judy stammered as she recollected her wits. "What just happened?" she queried.

"Ocelots tend to have a hypnotic effect on other animals Carrots. Something about the size of their eyes, and the markings on their faces," supplied the fox, "Probably helps with his job. That about right Peepers?"

Looking shocked that the fox knew about his species talent, the ocelot ignored the quip about his eyes, and merely nodded. Returning his supplies to the trauma kit, he turned his back on the odd duo.

"Come on Miss Hopps, let's get you to the hospital," he replied in a professional tone.

Turning to the fox he stated, "Sir, if you'd like, you can meet up with her at the hospital. You might be able to catch a ride with one of the police officers."

Upon hearing these words, the bunny physically started, long ears jerking hastily erect, and a look of panic briefly flashing in her eyes. "Nick's riding with me," she said with determination.

"Alright Miss, he can ride along if that's what you want," mollified the ocelot.

"It is. Get in Nick," demanded the small gray bunny.

"Okay, you're the boss Carrots," Nick chuckled.

Fifteen minutes later, ambulance Z-304 was parked outside the Zootopian Metro Hospital Center, after having dropped off its most recent passengers. Two paramedics were seated in the back, restocking their trauma kits, and calmly awaiting another call to action.

Deciding to break the silence, the paramedic in the driver's seat turned to her companion. "So, what was up with those two? Kind of hard to see anything through the rearview mirror," questioned the tiny sand cat in a curious tone.

"You know, I'm not entirely sure. It was kind of weird," answered the larger male with obvious confusion.

"Yeah, did you notice how she reacted when he tried to just drop her off with you? She looked panicked. I thought she hated Preds? Or at the very least thought our biology makes us dangerous," huffed the tiny female with a small amount of bitterness creeping into her voice. "I couldn't believe when she made him stay with her," she finished.

Looking contemplative for a moment, the ocelot admitted, "I don't know, Sandy. She certainly didn't seem afraid of him, or me either for that matter."

"The fox was acting pretty weird too. I don't think I've ever seen a male fox act that way before. I mean, my experience with foxes is pretty limited, but still. That was pretty weird, Martin," Sandy wondered.

 _Huh, that's strange_ , Martin thought. He'd been positive their trauma kits were fully stocked before he and Sandy had responded to their last call; and he KNEW he'd only used one roll of gauze to wrap the bunny's injury. It would have been such an easy thing to miss; however, looking down at the contents of his kit, it was pretty clear that a couple items were missing.

"Yeah, weird," the ocelot mused.


	6. Chapter 1-6: Waiting Game

**Hey everybody! First off, I'm super sorry that this chapter is a day late; but on the bright side, this is currently the longest chapter I've written. As always, thank you to everyone who reads this story, and a double thanks to those who review. Another big thank you to Selaxes, for editing. :-D**

 **So, announcements:**

 **1\. The Easter Egg in Chapter 5: Not sure if anyone noticed, but ambulance Z-304 is a reference to March 04, the U.S. release date for Zootopia.**

 **2\. As promised, this chapter is a little more touchy-feely and serious than the first chapters. Fair warning, the next one will be as well. Afterwards though, your regularly scheduled laughter shall return; I promise ;-)**

 **3\. As always THANK YOU for all the sweet reviews 3 (Cimar, you'll just have to wait for your answers lol).**

* * *

 **Here's hoping ya'll enjoy Chapter 6: Waiting Game.**

* * *

Gritting his teeth as he and Judy approached the large glass doors, Nick couldn't help but feel anxious. He HATED hospitals. It seemed nothing good ever happened behind those doors, and the whole place positively reeked of illness, antiseptics, and death. He hadn't planned on coming here, he really just wanted to sleep; it had been such a long and exhausting day, and to top it off, he was starting to feel the beginnings of a migraine. But the moment he'd seen the panic in Judy's eyes, he just couldn't say no. He didn't understand it, but that little bunny did something to him. No, she was still doing something to him, Nick mentally corrected. It was if he'd been on autopilot for the last 20 years, silently drudging through the darkness of the world; until suddenly, along comes a rabbit of all creatures, flicking the switch, and bringing brightness and insanity into his life.

Readjusting his grip on the small creature beside him, Nick huffed quietly to himself. It just didn't make any sense. WHY did he care what she thought? He never let the feelings or thoughts of other mammals bother him before. He'd learned years ago, that caring what others thought made running cons difficult; so he'd learned to shut away his heart and not care. 'Never let 'em see that they get to you', was merely the back-up plan to, 'Don't let 'em get to you'. So why did he care now? And why her?

Maybe it was the way she hadn't hesitated to call upon him as a witness; as though it was the most natural thing in the world to trust him. As though a fox could be believed. It had certainly been a factor in why he'd stood up to that arrogant cow. Admittedly, Nick had always enjoyed goading the police; when all his bases were covered, and there was no chance of him being thrown in jail. But this was different. Sure, mouthing off to an animal who outweighed him by about a ton was NOT a new experience for Nick. But doing so in defense of another mammal? One he barely knew? Yuuup, definitely new.

And then he completely went off the reservation by opening up to her about his past. Just a small glimpse, but a glimpse only shared by one other mammal. And the way she had reassured him afterwards, telling him that he was 'so much more' than what others saw him to be. Or how she had looked at him. Looked at him as though she really cared about his feelings, and the hardships of his past. It didn't make any sense. They hadn't even known each other two whole days… and yet, this little bunny seemed to care about him.

It was probably just in her nature to care, but still… it had been a long and lonely time since someone had cared…

Shaking his head, Nick refocused on the task ahead. Forcing a smile on his face and glancing down at his companion, Nick asked,

"So Carrots, ready to get stitched up? Let's just hope that you don't look like Baconstein's monster when they're done with you."

And there was that little giggle that just brightened his day… Good grief, he was going soft; if he wasn't careful, he'd be singing "Kumbaya" and painting his claws pink. He made a mental note to spend tomorrow drinking beer, watching violent movies, and trying to find his lost testicles.

* * *

Sighing deeply, Judy looked around the emergency room lobby. Zootopian Metro Hospital Center was a sleek, modern building; and the emergency waiting room certainly stayed true to this theme. The interior was filled with soft, earthy hues, likely meant to provide comfort to the ailing animals who came seeking healing. The floor seemed to be made of beautifully marbled beige stone, that was arranged in a delicately curving pattern. The walls also curved gently, and intricate stonework adorned the wall behind a light mahogany reception desk, while an ornate artificial waterfall adorned another; the soothing sound of water trickling past the decorative stones easily reaching Judy's sensitive ears. The lobby was furnished with an assortment of airy looking wooden seats, benches, and side tables. The furniture ranged in size to accommodate everyone, no matter what type of animal; from the biggest elephant to the smallest mouse. And in the center of the lobby, a massive freshwater fish tank, filled with a wide selection of beautiful and exotic fish, dominated the room. Judy had to admit, the lobby was absolutely gorgeous. Wearily, she sighed again. The lobby was also PACKED with other mammals. This was going to take a while.

Downcast, Judy silently urged Nick towards the reception area. She noticed that, unlike the reception desk at the ZPD, this desk came equipped with a series of stairs running along the front; to make access easier for shorter mammals such as her and Nick. Sighing yet again, Judy began the arduous task of climbing the steps, one at a time; relying heavily on Nick for support.

Upon reaching the summit, Judy took a moment to catch her breath. Briefly glancing at Nick, Judy noticed that he was breathing a bit hard, and his ears were at half-mast. ' _Huh, that's odd'_ , Judy thought. Catching her staring at him, Nick smiled wearily,

"Been a long day, Fluff. Honestly, I'm pretty tired. Older mammals such as myself are usually in bed by this hour you know; but this crazy rabbit keeps hopping into my life, dragging me into all sorts of 'adventures'," he finished with air quotes.

"Har-har. You know you loved it," Judy tiredly quipped.

"Did I love it? No, no I did not. I'm not a daredevil like you, little miss psycho-bunny," Nick replied in a sarcastic tone. Then, in a quieter voice, he continued, "But I don't regret it."

Loudly clearing her throat, the female deer behind the receptionist desk decided that the two smaller mammals clearly needed a reminder of where they were. Sure there was no one behind them in line, but that didn't mean they could just loiter in front of the desk. Upon gaining their attention, she began in a voice subtly laced with irritation,

"Hello miss, my name is Doreen. Welcome to Zootopian Metro Hospital Center. How may I assist you tonight?" sounding for all the world like assisting them was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Oh. Hi, Doreen.", Judy began with a smile, that quickly faltered once she finally noticed the other doe's demeanor. "Umm, I was told I need to get some stitches for my leg.", Judy mumbled.

Pointing to a clipboard on Judy's left, the receptionist instructed, "Just sign in here, and make sure to include your arrival time."

After Judy had signed in, the other female handed over a small clipboard and a pen, continuing her instructions, "Now, just fill out these admission forms and bring them up here when you're done."

Turning to Nick, the larger doe brusquely questioned, "And how may I help you today?"

Raising his muzzle a little higher, Nick looked the deer in the eye, and while flashing a smug grin replied, "Not at all my, dear. I'm just here for a friend."

And with a wink, Nick was leading Judy back to the waiting area; leaving behind a silently fuming receptionist.

* * *

As luck would turn out, there was no seating left to accommodate mammals of Nick and Judy's size. So, they just stood near the smaller-sized furniture, waiting for a seat to become available. Nick was trying to support as much of Judy's weight as possible, but he was so tired. He really hoped some seats opened up soon.

Noticing Nick's exhausted posture, Judy decided to try and cheer him up a bit,

"Wanna know something funny?" she started.

Nick made a noncommittal noise. Continuing anyway, Judy said, "It's funny that you called me a 'daredevil' earlier, because well, Haredevil is actually my favorite super hero; has been since I was a kit."

Judy had expected Nick's boisterous laugh, but received a small chuckle instead. Meh, she'd take it.

Seeking a way to continue the conversation, Judy changed the topic. "So, I assume that you know that a deer can call another deer 'dear', but when other animals do it, it's totally…"

Laughing, Nick cut her off, "Oh, believe me Carrots, I KNOW."

"Then why?", Judy questioned.

After a slight hesitation, Nick answered, "Because, Fluff, 'No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy.' – Bryant McGerbill". Allowing a moment for that statement to sink in, he continued, "That doe was being a jerk. So why not have a little fun?", he smirked.

"Don't be threatened by rude people because rudeness is a sign of insecurity," Judy quietly replied while gently laying a paw upon Nick's forearm.

 _Ouch_ , Nick thought.

"Huh, Gugu Monakey. Didn't take you as the type Carrots," Nick said with surprise.

"Is that who says it?" Judy questioned with a puzzled look.

"… You got that quote off Furbook, didn't you?" Nick asked with an amused grin.

"Guilty as charged. Told you you'd make a pretty good cop," Judy laughed.

"Uggh. How dare you," Nick mimicked from earlier with a wink.

After a few minutes of silence, Judy accepted that Nick was probably too tired for conversation; and the two mammals settled into a peaceful quiet while Judy finished filling out her forms. Once she was done, Nick offered to take the clipboard back to the desk for her, to save time and effort. Smiling gratefully, Judy handed Nick the paperwork and leaned against a table instead. Two minutes later, and Nick was back at Judy's side, resuming his duty as a living crutch.

A few minutes later, grimacing a little, Nick readjusted to a slightly more comfortable position. Geez, this was taking forever. He was almost tempted to take a nap once they got some seats; but he didn't trust sleeping with other mammals around. Hopefully, the pace would pick up a little, and they'd be able to leave relatively soon.

Just as Nick was starting to worry that Judy would have to stand until a doctor was finally able to see her, he noticed that there was a medium sized chair available. Hallelujah! Quickly rushing Judy to the seat, Nick helped hoist her up, wincing slightly as he did so. Once she was seated comfortably in the over-sized chair, Judy patted the seat next to her.

"Uh-uh, Carrots. Enjoy your seat, I don't trust where it's been," Nick replied while scrunching his face in distaste.

Patting the seat again, Judy chuckled, "Come on, Nick. If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for you. Besides, you're exhausted. You may as well get off your feet for a while. You can even take a nap if you want, I'll wake you up when it's my turn to see the doctor."

Studying the proposed seating arrangement, Nick blanched. Nope, he wasn't doing it. The seat was large, but that would still put him in close proximity to the gray bunny. True, they'd spent most of tonight in close proximity; but there had always been something else going on, walking from point A to point B, her wound being treated, running for their lives. Without a proper distraction, Nick was worried she'd notice. He knew prey mammals usually didn't have a strong sense of smell, but being that close together? He couldn't risk it; he was already getting funny looks from some of the predators in the room. Besides, there was something he needed to take care of really quick.

"Nope, you just sit there. Besides, I actually have to go to the little fox's room, if you catch my drift" Nick countered.

"Oh. OH! Um, yeah, sure. I'll be waiting," Judy responded, the insides of her ears reddening.

Just as Nick was turning to leave, a tiny, unsure voice stopped him,

"Nick."

"Yes Carrots?"

"You WILL come back, right?" Judy softly questioned.

Suddenly realizing why Judy had been so panicked earlier, Nick gulped. _She's worried I'm going to leave again_. Nick answered her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Carrots, you're stuck with me now. Go ahead and take a nap. I'll be here when you wake up."

Curling up in the seat, Judy answered with a shy smile, "Thanks Nick.".

* * *

Finally off-shift, and looking forward to the rest of the night off, a female hare and a male muntjac, both in nursing scrubs, were engaged in pleasant conversation as they headed towards the exit. Her ears suddenly perking in the direction of the public restrooms, the long-eared female silently cursed her sensitive hearing for the umpteenth time. Someone was puking again. Great. Hopefully the poor mammal had made at least it to a toilet first.


	7. Chapter 1-7: Wrong Side of the Chair

**So, somehow, tinkering on a chapter led to actually finishing a new one... I KNOW I said that I was going to post every other day, but I WAS late with the last chapter by a day... And I'm terribly impatient. (Thanks Selaxes for the quick editing). :-D**

 **So, please enjoy today's late night, double feature story. Here's Chapter 7: Wrong Side of the Chair.**

* * *

"… Miss, Miss. I hate to wake you but…" the rest of the words trailed off, lost to the frantic beating of Judy's heart as she realized an unknown paw was touching her.

Startling awake, Judy rapidly looked around, trying to regain her bearings. _'Where am I?! What's happening?!'_ she thought. _'Oh, that's right. The museum. The tusk. I'm in a hospital.'_ she remembered.

Finally settling her gaze on the small mammal before her, a plump female woodchuck in light pink scrubs, Judy realized the she-chuck was worriedly looking at her.

"Sorry, I guess I fell asleep," Judy mumbled while giving the nurse a tired smile.

Upon hearing her words, the other female instantly brightened. In a bright and cheery voice, she informed Judy, "Oh, that's okay. Happens all the time around here." Seeming to remember why she'd originally woken the little bunny, she lightly shook her head. "Anyway, Miss. Like I said before, I'm so sorry I had to wake you up, but are you Miss Judy Hopps?"

"Yup, that'd be me!" Judy replied in a chipper voice, suddenly very much awake. "So, does that mean it's my turn to see the doctor now?" she queried.

Looking embarrassed, the other female briefly lowered her gaze to her hind paws. "Oh, about that. A police dispatcher actually called ahead about 30 minutes ago… before you arrived. I took the call, and well, I made sure I told Doreen before I left for break… I'm not sure why she didn't tell you. You were SUPPOSED to be taken to see a doctor immediately. I'm SOOOO sorry for the delay." Smiling sheepishly, the nurse asked Judy, "So, are you ready to see the doctor now?"

Nodding her affirmation, Judy looked around for Nick. Luckily it seemed she didn't have to look very far, and she started laughing when she saw him. Nick was sitting on the floor, on the opposite side of the chair as the woodchuck nurse. _'Awww. Poor guy must be exhausted,_ ' she chuckled to herself. Nick was slumped against the leg of her chair, mouth agape and snoring lightly. He looked absolutely dead to the world.

Shaking her head with another small laugh, Judy lightly slid down from her perch. Allowing the nurse to assist her, Judy noticed that the woodchuck was only slightly shorter than herself, a few inches at most, and about the same age; however, the other female seemed to have quite a few ounces on Judy. Looking carefully at the other female's smiling, dimpled face, Judy decided she liked this mammal; she reminded her a little of Clawhauser.

"Wait! I need to wake my friend up," Judy said, while pointing to Nick's sleeping form.

"I can take care of that for you sweetie. Let's just get you situated first," the nurse soothed, indicating a small wheelchair behind her.

Judy looked torn. She didn't doubt the nurse could handle waking Nick up, and her leg was lightly throbbing again. But Judy didn't know how Nick would react to an unfamiliar face upon waking. "No, I think it'd be better if I wake him," Judy insisted.

Chuckling a little, the nurse helped Judy to assume a half-kneeling position next to Nick, her uninjured leg lying upon the ground, while her injured leg was carefully bent at the knee. Leaning forward, Judy began to gently shake Nick's shoulder, "Nick. Nick, come on. Wake up."

Nick began to mumble something, lightly whining and attempting to swat at her paw, trying to shoo the pesky annoyance away. Judy sighed, shaking his shoulder a little harder, "Nick! Come on you lazy fox; we need to go!"

Snapping his eyes open, Judy was startled by the snarl that ripped through his throat.

Judy jumped back, yelping as her injured leg was moved too quickly. Teeth bared, fur bristling, and a low growl still rumbling in his chest. Judy hardly recognized her friend. Barely registering the nurse moving in front of her, paw tightly grasping a small tranquilizer gun similar to the ones used in the ZPD; Judy stared in shock. "Nick…" Judy whispered, already feeling the tears in her eyes.

And then, Nick's brows furrowed in confusion, and he began to slowly blink; appearing to clear his head. "Carrots?" Nick questioned. "Judy, what's wrong?!" In the blink of an eye, his body language had changed from feral, to confused, to worried.

"Are you alright Nick?", Judy softly questioned.

Looking even more baffled, Nick replied, "Yeah, fine. Must have fallen asleep on accident." Eyes narrowing slightly, Nick continued, "But no changing the subject. What's got that cute little tail of yours in a knot?"

Judy fidgeted, clearly nervous. Looking at Nick though, Judy knew he wouldn't accept 'nothing' as an answer. Sighing wearily, Judy whispered, "Ummm… you kinda woke up snarling."

Although he quickly schooled his features into a small, apologetic smile, Judy had seen the brief flash of mortification that had crossed Nick's features.

"Oh, sorry, Carrots. I'm not really used to sleeping around other mammals; and well, I tend to be rather cranky when I wake up. Sorry," Nick explained with clear discomfort.

"Alright, folks, back off! He's clearly not savage, and these two don't need an audience. So shoo! Not like he's the first mammal to wake up here snarling.", the little woodchuck loudly ordered.

Looking around, Nick and Judy suddenly realized they had an audience. A half-dozen or so hospital staff, all larger mammals, had surrounded the small trio; and all of them were irritably sheathing tranquilizer guns. Judy noticed that the seats around them had been vacated; and several mammals were openly glaring at Nick and her. Judy also noticed that all the prey animals were giving the predators in the room a wide berth and, in some cases, distrusting glances.

Judy wilted under the hateful, angry looks of the other mammals. Nick on the other paw, put on that easy-going smirk and half-lidded his eyes, thoroughly slamming his walls back into place.

Turning towards the small nurse, Nick chuckled with only a hint of nervousness, "So, thanks for not letting them play 'Pin the Dart on the Fox'. I mean, I'm tired and all, but I can think of better ways to take a nap."

The little woodchuck's face lit up with a radiant smile as she let loose an adorably high pitched laugh that sounded almost like a whistle.

"You're fine, hon. Like I said, you're not the first mammal to wake up in a bad mood around here.", she said cheerily. In a quieter voice she added, "Everyone's just a little tense because… well, you know."

Nodding his head, Nick looked a little tense himself. ' _That's right, they probably haven't announced that Bellwether was behind the attacks.'_ Looking to Judy, he noticed she seemed to be thinking the same thing and she looked positively glum. Her ears were drooping again, and her little nose was twitching away madly.

Rising gingerly to his feet, Nick slowly rubbed his eyes with the back of one paw. Turning to Judy, he delicately extended a paw, being careful to avoid drawing attention to his claws. To his immense relief, she didn't hesitate, beaming up at him as she allowed him to help her to her feet.

After Nick had helped Judy into the wheelchair, he finally focused again on the nurse. She was just standing there looking at the two of them with one of the widest smiles he'd ever seen…fanning herself gently with one paw, while the other rested on her chest. ' _Huh, strange.'_ , Nick thought.

"Okay, so are we good to see the doctor now?" Nick questioned breaking the little female's reverie.

Seeming to snap out of it, she answered, "Hmmmm, oh yeah. Sorry again for the wait."

Leading them through the doors separating the waiting room from the rest of the hospital; the little woodchuck turned to the fox and rabbit and brightly said, "By the way, I'm Melissa Woode. I'll be your nurse while we get you squared away."

Sneaking a glance at the adorable couple behind her, Melissa shook her head. She had a sneaking suspicion about that fox; and if she was right, things were probably going to take an unpleasant turn… very soon.


	8. Chapter 1-8: What's Up Doc?

Judy grimaced as Nick continued to steer her through the hallway; following the pleasant woodchuck nurse to the examination room. Having grown up on a farm, Judy had seen her fair share of cuts and scrapes; and of course, there was the incident with Gideon Grey. She was familiar with the throbbing ache of torn skin, as well as the sting of the doctor's needle as sundered flesh was again made whole. However, a dull soreness had crept across Judy's small body; an ache she knew couldn't be attributed to the laceration on her leg. No, this was a full-body ache most likely caused from that nasty tumble they'd taken into the museum exhibit.

Quietly sighing, Judy had to admit, it could have been a lot worse. A 15-foot fall was no laughing matter; especially for smaller animals such as Nick and herself. But it seemed that both of them had managed to escape without serious injury.

Preliminary examination by the paramedic had revealed nothing more than a nasty bruise along her hip, in addition to the leg wound. Judy had been assured that, barring complication, she'd be healed in a couple of weeks. As for Nick, he was walking away injury free; _'Lucky fox'_ , Judy thought.

Blushing lightly, Judy remembered her outburst when Nick had tried to drop her off with the paramedic. Judy had panicked, thinking for sure that he was trying to slip away; she'd honestly been very conflicted when he explained that he just wanted to get checked out by a paramedic as well. Sure it made sense, but that didn't make letting go of him any easier. At first, Judy had insisted that Nick stay with her, and be examined by the same paramedic. However, Nick had quickly pointed out the folly of her plan. There were two different ambulances, as well as several paramedics in front of the museum; why waste time being examined by the same paramedic, when it was so much faster to split up? But Judy was still scared of losing him again; so she'd discreetly asked Wolford to keep an eye on Nick. Surprisingly, in the amount of time it had taken for Judy to be tested for range of motion and cognitive function, Nick had breezed through the entirety of his examination. Climbing into the ambulance, and resuming his position by her side, Nick had laughed, telling her he was pretty sure that the sheep who'd checked on him hated him now, and must have been in a rush to get rid of him. _'He seems to have that effect on mammals'_ , Judy had thought with a chuckle. Of course her mirth had died the moment the paramedic began prodding at her leg wound…

Returning her thoughts to the present, Judy glanced back at her friend with a fond smile. He had been so patient and understanding through this whole ordeal. Sure he'd cracked his jokes and had his fun, but he hadn't complained about her literally clinging to him the whole night. He'd only left her side twice, and although she'd panicked both times, he hadn't teased her for being ridiculous; and more importantly, he had come back to her. Despite his irritating and smug exterior, Nick Wilde was a great friend; and Judy felt blessed to have him in her life. Despite the short amount of time they had known each other, Judy felt incredibly close to Nick.

"Umm, Carrots, you do know I can see you right? What're you doing?" Nick tiredly questioned. The little bunny had been looking at him with a strange smile on her muzzle for a solid half-minute.

"Oh nothing. Just checking up on my favorite fox," Judy cheerfully answered.

A small "Hmmph," was Nick's only reply. Fine, let the bunny be weird. Just a little bit longer, he kept reminding himself. A little bit longer and he could choke down some Oxcedrin Migraine and go to sleep.

* * *

"Alright, here we are! Examination Room S-16," their bubbly guide announced, abruptly ending the conversation she'd been having with Judy. Nick was honestly having a hard time deciding who was the more cheerful and exuberant mammal, Judy, or the little woodchuck nurse. He had a pretty good feeling that the two would make great friends. Lord knows they'd spent most of the walk pleasantly chatting away. Not that the walk had been very long but a throbbing migraine, combined with the upbeat chatter of two small females, and Nick was fairly certain he'd fallen into the seventh circle of hell.

The nurse opened the door revealing a surprisingly large, painfully bright room that had Nick squinting in agony as his synapses all fired at once. _'Make that the eighth circle of hell._ ' Barely resisting the urge to growl, Nick resigned himself to the pain. Maneuvering the wheelchair through the doorway, he parked Judy in front of a teal examination table, and plopped himself into a nearby chair; leaving the nurse to assist the bunny onto the table.

Apparently that was the wrong thing to do, since Judy fixed him with a confused and slightly worried expression.

"Nick? Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should get checked out again, just in case," came Judy's timid voice after she'd been situated on the tabletop.

A moment passed before a tired smile crossed the fox's muzzle.

"I'm fine, Carrots. Already told you, I'm just exhausted," Nick reassured.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Judy's muzzle; and her eyes appeared to be sparkling with joy… and something else. ' _What was that?'_ Nick wondered.

"Thanks for staying with me," Judy began in a quiet voice, "I know you didn't have to. You've had a crazy day, and, well, you could already be asleep in bed. So, thank you. It means a lot to me."

Averting his eyes from her decidedly happy, and grateful, gaze, Nick whispered, "Anytime Carrots."

The moment was abruptly ruined by a small sigh reaching their ears. Looking towards the door, Nick noticed that the nurse was looking at them with that weird smile again. _'Pfft. Today's just filled with strange little mammals,'_ Nick wryly thought.

"The doctor should be here in just a few minutes. I'm going to go fetch the suturing kit. If you need anything in the meantime, just press the little red button to your left. Be right back," the nurse cheerfully informed, before quietly shutting the door.

* * *

Three minutes later, and the nurse had returned, carrying a small medical kit.

Seven minutes after that, and the little woodchuck was profusely apologizing that the doctor still hadn't arrived.

Fifteen minutes after they had first entered the room, they were FINALLY greeted by the sight of what appeared to be a red racoon in a white coat. Judy didn't quite know what to make of the odd creature; she'd never heard of a racoon being red before.

Hastily shutting the door behind her, the doctor made a beeline for the sink; all the while, shot-gunning information at the tired couple.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Chitwa," she hurriedly began while washing her paws. As she donned white gloves, she continued without missing a beat, "My apologies for the wait. It seems that there was a miscommunication regarding your admittance. Regardless, let's take a look at you, and get that leg sutured."

Judy dutifully answered the doctor's questions, as the strange female performed a quick head-to-toe assessment on her. Daring a quick glance at Nick, Judy was dismayed to see that he looked even more exhausted than before. In fact, he looked like he might fall asleep in the chair. _'At least this should be over with soon.'_ Judy reassured herself.

"By the way, I've been instructed to inform you that Chief Bogo will be by to take both of your statements. He should be here in about ten minutes," the doctor informed them.

"Are you ready for your sutures, Miss Hopps?" the doctor questioned while holding up a syringe.

Sighing a little, Judy nodded her consent.

Quickly, the doctor disinfected the area for the procedure. "Okay, so first I'll numb the area with a little lidocaine," the doctor said while injecting the contents of the syringe into the area around the laceration. Approximately 90 seconds later, and the area was sufficiently numb enough for the doctor to shave the fur surrounding the wound. She then grabbed a curved needle with suture thread attached, "Alright, I'm going to begin suturing. Just let me know if you feel any pain."

Again, Judy nodded; she really couldn't wait for this to be over. She was glad that Bogo was coming to the hospital to take their statements; it had been a long day, and Judy couldn't wait to crawl into bed. She was suddenly very glad that her parents had insisted on paying the first six months of her rent at the Grand Pangolin Arms, in advance, as a graduation present. At the time, Judy had thought it was overly generous of her parents and had felt terribly guilty when she'd left Zootopia after only a month… Not that that was the only reason she felt guilty. Shaking her head to clear her depressing thoughts, Judy smiled. At least she'd have a place to sleep tonight.

"And we're finished," the doctor stated, glancing at her handiwork with apparent pride.

Judy looked at her leg… _'Ewww'_ , bunny legs looked so weird without the fur. Sighing, Judy thought of how long it would be before her fur returned to normal.

The doctor then rapidly explained how to care for her wound, "You're going to want to keep the wound clean and dry for at least 2 days; afterwards, you can wash the area gently with soap and warm water. No overexerting yourself. I can prescribe a mild sedative to help prevent you from being too active, if needed. The stitches should dissolve in approximately two weeks. I'm going to prescribe you some antibiotics to help prevent infection; but keep an eye out for any swelling or redness in the area, these could be signs of an infection. If you have any redness or swelling, call your primary care physician right away. I'm going to prescribed you some zebuprofen, to help with the pain."

"Any questions?" she finished while handing Judy a pamphlet, that undoubtedly contained all the same information.

"Uh, no?" Judy answered.

"Good."

Turning to Nick the doctor asked, "Mr. Wilde, would you like to be examined privately, or may Miss Hopps remain in the room?"

Suddenly very much awake, Nick looked at the doctor with confusion.

"Uh, I'm not here to be examined. Just staying to keep 'Miss Hopps' company," he replied with a lazy smile.

"Hmm.", the doctor looked skeptical, "When Chief Bogo called, he specifically instructed that BOTH of you were to be examined. Especially you, Mr. Wilde. Something about you left the scene without being examined for injuries."

"WHAT?!" Judy screeched.

Fur bristling, Nick's ears flattened against his skull. _'That traitor.'_

"Carr...Judy, I can explain," panicked, he began his feeble attempt at calming the raging rabbit. Who would have thought that a bunny could look so damned terrifying?

"All we've been through, and you LIED to me! You LIAR!" Judy yelled.

"It wasn't a lie per-se," Nick tried again.

"HOW NICK?! How was it not a lie?!" Judy shouted.

Briefly raising a finger to make his point, Nick quickly lowered it again; and decided to keep his mouth shut.

Just as Judy was preparing to rip into Nick again, it was as though the heavens opened and God himself finally decided to smile down upon the weary fox in the form of an angry buffalo stomping into the room with a scowl on his face.

"HOPPS! What's all this yelling about?" Chief Bogo demanded.

"Nothing, sir," Judy shamefully answered, as a scarlet blush shot up the inside of her ears.

"Good," Bogo said with a snort.

Turning towards the doctor, Bogo questioned, "Now then, doctor, have you examined the both of them?"

Startled, the red-furred female nervously answered, "Only Miss Hopps so far. Mr. Wilde has yet to say whether he'd like privacy."

"Just get on with it," Bogo huffed, "The city is covering both of their medical bills for this whole fiasco. So there shouldn't be an objection from either of them."

As the doctor approached, Nick suddenly seemed to put two and two together.

"Wait! I don't consent to be examined," he hastily half-shouted.

His eyes narrowing, Bogo turned on him, "What did you say, Wilde?"

Normally, Nick would have taken the opportunity to goad the buffalo into further rage; but he was currently far too tired. "I said, 'I don't consent to be examined."

Smiling dangerously, Bogo seethed, "Is that so? Well, fox, it would appear that you don't have a choice."

Eyebrows furrowing, Nick countered, "I know my rights. You can't make me."

"Actually, I can.", Bogo continued, "You see, we've already examined the footage from the museum. It would appear that you were not only assaulted by an animal significantly larger than you; but, more importantly, you took a fifteen-foot fall onto your head."

Judy gasped, glancing worriedly at Nick.

Blanching, Nick looked like he was going to be sick.

"So you see, there's reason to doubt your cognitive abilities right now; which means, I can, and will, force you to be examined," Bogo finished.

Deciding to interject, Judy whispered, "Nick, you need to make sure you're okay."

Just as Nick was going to insist that Judy leave the room, it was as though God himself decided to personally smite the living hell out the poor fox; as the queasy feeling abruptly overcame Nick's survival instinct… and he hurled right onto Bogo's hooves.

* * *

Surprisingly, Bogo hadn't decided to kill Nick just yet. Instead, he angrily stomped out of the room shouting, "GET THAT DAMNED FOX EXAMINED, RIGHT NOW!"

A heartbeat later, the doctor was on the phone with the custodian. Meanwhile, the nurse quickly realized that she needed to help Judy get to Nick, and fast, otherwise, the little bunny was going to tear her stitches trying to reach her fox. As hastily as she could, Melissa lifted the bunny, placed her in her wheelchair, and moved her to Nick's side all while avoiding the puddle of vomit. Afterwards, she scampered over to whisper something in the doctor's ear, "...suspected concussion...grimacing... strange...wanted to wait for privacy."

Thoroughly distracted, Judy only caught every couple of words; but it was enough. The nurse had noticed something was off with Nick… and Judy hadn't.

Distraught, Judy began to soothingly rub Nick's back as he continued to shake and dry heave. It seemed there was nothing left for him to throw up. Carefully, Judy wrapped her small arms around Nick in a gentle hug.

The loud yelp that followed caught her by surprise; then, her panic reached a near-hysterical level. Nick was breathing heavy… and a single tear rolled down his furred cheek.

* * *

It took Nick another two minutes to settle down. Releasing a shaky breath, he avoided looking at Judy; and instead, addressed the doctor, "Can I have some privacy?" he whispered in a hoarse, weak voice.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wilde, but you heard the chief; I have to examine you right away," she gently reminded.

"Not you," he said, shaking his head, "I don't want Judy here."

Unable to hide her hurt, with tears in her eyes, Judy offered, "I'd like to be here for you, Nick. You've been here for me all night. I'm so sorry I didn't realize you were hurt. And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I really am just a dumb bunny." Openly sobbing at this point, Judy continued, "Please, let me be here for you."

"No."

The look on her face was enough to break Nick's heart. Releasing a shaky sigh, Nick decided on a half-truth, "It's nothing personal, Judy… it's just, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need x-rays… Which means I'll be, well… naked. That's not something I feel like subjecting innocent bunny eyes to," he said with a weak smile.

"Oh. Well, I think they make you wear a gown; I could always come back after you've changed," Judy offered.

"Yes, because those gowns TOTALLY cover your backside. If you really want to see my butt, might I recommend waiting until it isn't bruised? It looks much better when it isn't red, black, and blue," Nick quietly snickered.

Blushing, Judy admitted, "I see your point… I guess I'll go find Bogo and give him my statement. I'll be right outside when you're done."

"Don't worry, Carrots, I'll let you hold my paw when the doctor is finished with me.", Nick offered with a small smile.

Ears down her back, Judy quietly left the room; taking one last sad look at Nick, before gently shutting the door.

' _Never let 'em see that they get to you.'_

* * *

Sighing, Dr. Lin Chitwa, sat down to examine the X-ray and MRI results from the fox. Judging from her examination, he'd sustained injuries to his ribs and left shoulder, and he almost certainly had a concussion; however, these images would show the full extent of any damage. More alarmingly however, upon examining his back she'd found a substantial amount of bloodied gauze; covering a small, but deep laceration on his right lower back. He hadn't admitted to it, but she was convinced he'd been stabbed recently. The wound appeared to have partially healed; only to be reopened within the last day.

Opening the thick manila envelope, the small red panda let out a startled gasp. _'Dear Lord'_.

Carefully looking at the black and white images again, she raised a paw to her mouth in horror; but it wasn't the fresh fractures and contusions that shocked her. _'That poor fox._ ' Shakily, she lowered the images back to the table, as tears welled in her eyes.

* * *

 **Greetings!**

 **I didn't want to spoil any surprises, since this chapter answers many of the riddles I've peppered this story with; which is why we're doing this at the bottom today. So, I finally get to answer some of your reviews :-)**

 **\- Cimar: Nick stole gauze from the paramedic's kit. Which is why the doctor found "... a substantial amount of bloodied gauze...".**

 **\- Half-elf: I LITERALLY panicked when you guessed "concussion" so quickly. Everyone should thank Half-elf; because this motivated me to release two chapters in one day, in a shameless attempt at distraction.**

 **\- Mllshadow: don't worry about your "dirty mind". I deliberately wrote that section with the hopes of misleading you, in pretty much the direction your mind took. I wanted you to think that Nick was worried about Judy smelling arousal. But nope, it was blood. When he "went to the little foxes' room", he was actually wrapping himself in the "borrowed" gauze.**

 **\- Cimar again: Nope, the woodchuck nurse didn't recognize Nick; she was recognizing symptoms of an injured fox, and suspected Nick wouldn't be willing to cooperate. Out of curiosity, what did you think the "unpleasant turn" was going to be?**

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who's been reading this story; and an EXTRA BIG THANKS to everyone who reviews.**

 **Also, a round of applause for Selaxes for editing this chapter!**

 **This chapter is almost three times the length of what I usually write. Didn't help that I had a mild case of writer's block at the beginning; which is why this chapter took a little longer than normal...**

* * *

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 8! If you did, please leave a review letting me know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 1-9: Wheelin' & Dealin'

**Woot! Woot! We made it to a HUNDRED Followers folks!**

 **Now, how about we shoot for... let's say, 75 Favorites, and 50 Reviews ;-)**

* * *

 **As always, "Thank You" to everyone who reads this story; and an extra big "Thanks" to those who review. I love reading what ya'll have to say about the story.**

 **Another shout out to Selaxes for editing! Couldn't do it without you!**

* * *

 **Anyway, here's the story; please enjoy. Chapter 9: Trickery**

* * *

Just outside the examination room door, Judy curled forward in her wheelchair, her shoulders trembling as she attempted to conceal her tears. How could she have been so foolish? She should have verified that Nick had been examined at the scene; but instead, she'd chosen to trust him. _'Stupid, dumb bunny'_ , she thought bitterly. Despite the short amount of time they had known each other, Nick had already proven himself to be secretive, distrusting, and painfully reluctant to display emotion. She should have suspected that, if injured, he would hide his physical pain behind that same damned smirk he used to mask emotional pain.

' _Never let 'em see that they get to you.'_

His words echoed in her head. Taunting her. Reminding her that she'd failed.

She should have known.

Sniffling, Judy felt a small paw rest gently on her shoulder. She'd completely forgotten about the nurse; despite the fact that the little woodchuck had been the one to quietly wheel Judy from the room. Embarrassed, Judy hastily rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"It's okay sweetie.", the little nurse cooed, "A good cry never hurt anyone; and sometimes, it's better to just let it all out."

Despite her embarrassment, Judy began to openly sob; burying her face in her paws. The comforting paw abandoned her shoulder; and the sound of shuffling cloth reached her drooping ears. The paw returned, lightly brushing Judy's wrist. Reluctantly lifting her head, Judy met the woodchuck's kindly gaze with tear-filled amethysts.

"Miss Hopps, I'd like to give you a hug if that's alright," the nurse simply stated, seeking permission.

Nodding her head, Judy found herself enveloped in a warm and comforting embrace. And just like that, her emotional dam broke. Sniffling, Judy gently nuzzled into the coarse fur beneath the nurse's chin; as the woodchuck soothingly rubbed her back. They stayed like that for several minutes, until Judy had calmed down a little.

"You can call me Judy," she quietly said between sniffles; face still buried in the other mammal's fur.

"Ok, Judy. You can call me Melly if you'd like. Or Melissa. Either one really," the nurse offered while continuing to soothe the little bunny. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Trembling Judy started to shake her head, and then changed her mind. Whispering so quietly, the little woodchuck almost missed her words, "I should have known." A fresh sob tore through her tiny frame.

Waiting for the little bunny to calm again, the woodchuck resolutely continued to comfort the small mammal. "Shhh. There, there," she consoled. "You're a police officer; not a medical professional. You're not trained to recognize when an animal is hiding pain."

Startled, a look of confusion settled on Judy's face. "Wait, you know who I am?", she questioned.

Laughing, the nurse explained, "Of course! You're Judy Hopps, smallest mammal on the ZPD! The day you graduated was kind of a big deal for all us little guys."

Judy shuddered at how eerily similar the nurse's words were to Bellwether's. That deranged sheep was one of the last things that Judy wanted to think about right now. Judy had believed the little ewe to be a friend, someone who could be trusted. But behind the soft wool and warm smiles, a twisted, malicious, evil soul resided; hell-bent on tearing the city apart. Bellwether had caused so much damage, and hurt so many mammals and Judy had unknowingly played a pivotal part in the sheep's plot. Her own ignorant and bigoted words had served as the match, lighting the city on fire.

More than anything, Judy regretted her words at that press conference. The rioting had led to many injuries, and several predators had been attacked by mobs of prey. That's why she'd left the ZPD. As cowardly as it was, she couldn't stand to see the damage she'd caused, not anymore. She didn't deserve to be the face of the ZPD. She didn't even deserve to be an officer any longer.

She'd moped around the farm for a month; wishing she could take it all back. She'd destroyed her dream. She'd destroyed the city… And she'd destroyed Nick's belief in her. She'd crushed his hopes like a delicate flower, tentatively popping up in barren soil.

And then, everything just clicked; she knew what was causing the predators to go savage. She had to go back and fix the mess she'd created. But rather than go to the police with her newfound information… She'd gone to Nick. Maybe it was just her guilt at how bad she'd hurt him, or maybe it was that he was the closest thing to a friend she had made in the city; but she had to make things right with him. So she had dragged him into another crazy adventure and solved another impossible case that she never would have been able to solve without him. And now, Nick was hurt because of her…

Yet, despite all the bad that had happened, as selfish as it was, Judy couldn't regret it. If the missing mammal cases had never happened, Judy wouldn't have had reason to coerce Nick into helping her. He wouldn't be injured right now; but… they wouldn't be friends. He would be nothing more to her than a lying, shifty fox who had cheated her out of $20.

Nick would heal. The city would heal. She'd have to try her hardest, but she would make up for her destructive words.

Finally, Judy's sniffling ceased. She could feel her optimism and determination slowly returning. Everything would be alright. She'd make it alright. But for now, she had a job to do.

Raising her head, Judy rubbed the last of the tears from her eyes. Smiling, she looked at the wonderful nurse who'd been so kind to her.

"Melly, I'd like to find Chief Bogo now. I need to talk to him."

* * *

Turns out, they didn't have to look very far to find the chief. Judy was rather shocked to discover that Bogo was patiently waiting around the corner at the nurses' station, a tired look on his usually irate face. Noticing the two smaller mammals, Bogo indicated a room behind the station. Following behind the chief, the nurse wheeled Judy into an empty office.

Judy heard the faint 'click' of the door, as the nurse left, granting them privacy; but her attention was focused on the massive buffalo in front of her. She wouldn't be the first one to speak; she couldn't be, she needed this to play out just right…

After a moment of silence, during which Bogo was clearly waiting on the bunny to begin, Bogo cleared his throat. Drawing her attention to a silver voice recorder on the office table, "Hopps, are you okay to give your statement at this time?" he questioned.

"Yes sir."

And so, she told him all that had happened…most of what had happened; she left out the parts involving a certain shrew in Tundratown. She told him how she'd inadvertently discovered that Night Howlers were flowers and how she'd frantically driven back to Zootopia. How she'd found Nick. And how, together, they had discovered Doug's lair and how Nick had saved the evidence from being destroyed. She told him how they had learned of Bellwether's involvement. How Nick had carried her to safety after she'd injured herself. She told him how they'd tricked Bellwether, how Nick had come up with the plan to switch the serum with blueberries. How he'd flawlessly pretended to go savage and how they had gotten Bellwether's accidental confession.

And then she told Bogo how she couldn't have done it without Nick.

Finishing her story, and thus her statement, Judy patiently resumed her silence.

Another long moment passed as the chief turned off the recording device and apparently thought over her words. Looking contemplative, Bogo stroked his muzzle…once…twice…three times, before returning his gaze to the little bunny before him.

"Well, Hopps, you continue to impress.", the chief began in a surprisingly tender voice.

"Thank you sir," she replied, not breaking eye contact.

Looking at her a moment longer, Bogo continued in his usual gruff voice, "I've said it before, Hopps; this city needs cops like you. After your leg is healed, I expect you to return to the ZPD."

Then, reaching into his front pocket, he withdrew a small, metal object; offering it to her. Her badge.

Her paw half raised to snatch back her dream; Judy barely managed to restrain herself.

' _Okay, didn't think he'd have it on him,'_ she thought. But still, she held her resolve.

Brows furrowing, Bogo again offered the golden shield to Judy; and again she didn't reach for it.

"Hopps. I know I don't need to remind you, but the city is in chaos. You've not only solved the missing mammal cases, but now you've exposed one of the greatest conspiracies in Zootopian history. You may be a rookie, but you're one of the finest cops I've ever seen; and I do not say that lightly. You've got great potential," the chief admitted. "Right now, this city needs a hero… the city needs you," he said quietly offering up the badge a third time.

"No."

Briefly looking shocked, Bogo's face quickly returned to his usual glower. "What do you mean 'No'?" he questioned, "I would have thought you'd be eager to return."

"I've already briefed the city council about tonight's events, and we're all in agreement. The best thing for Zootopia would be for you to return to the ZPD. You're a damn good cop; and the city needs you to help sort out this mess.", the chief urged.

She continued her silence, looking thoughtful.

"What would it take for you to come back?", he grudgingly asked.

' _Hook, line, and sinker,'_ she suppressed a smirk.

After a moment's hesitation, "I'll only come back under two conditions."

Grunting, Bogo asked, "Name your price."

"I want Nick to be allowed into the ZPD academy; whatever it takes. And I want him as my partner when he graduates," she said without hesitation.

"Hmmph. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative would allow him to enroll into the academy. Since you're specifically bargaining for his admittance, shall I assume that there's a reason to suspect that Mr. Wilde would not normally be allowed to enroll?" Bogo questioned, connecting the dots.

Staring straight into his eyes, she blatantly chose to ignore his question.

Taking that as his answer, Bogo continued, "But I suppose that if I threatened to throw him in jail unless you cooperate…"

"There's no evidence that he's committed a crime," she hastily stated. Which was true; she'd already erased his damning confession from her carrot pen.

"Hmmph, of course there's not." Bogo sighed, "Relax Hopps. I wouldn't try to force your cooperation anyway. Unhappy officers rarely make good officers." Massaging his temple, he continued, "If I'm going to try to make this happen, I need more information. Why do think he wouldn't be allowed to enroll?"

At this, Judy looked reluctant, "There's no evidence that he's committed a crime; however, I suspect that he would not pass the background check necessary to be admitted into the academy. He has a sealed juvenile record, and has been a mammal of interest in a couple cases. I believe that Mr. Wilde might require full amnesty from all past crimes that he may or may not have committed, in order to be granted admittance to the academy."

Bogo shook his head. "Hopps… This is beyond my power. I can't just absolve Wilde of any past crimes. Even if he can't be prosecuted, I don't have the power to override a negative background check. Only the mayor can grant that kind of amnesty; and in case you hadn't noticed, we're completely out of mayors for the time being. Bellwether's assistant mayor was just arrested for co-conspiracy.", Bogo informed.

This shouldn't have come as a surprise to Judy; but it did.

Ignoring her shocked appearance, Bogo continued, "Councilwoman Lupez has been elevated to interim mayor for the time being; but an interim mayor does not have the authority to grant amnesty either. You'll have to wait until a new mayor is elected; in about a month."

Judy nodded, "I'll wait."

"And you're willing to stake your career on this fox?", he gruffly questioned.

"Yes." No hesitation.

Bogo looked skeptical, "Tell me, Hopps, why is this fox so important to you?"

Smiling, Judy simply replied, "Because, he's my friend."


	10. Chapter 1-10: Smells Like Revenge

**Hello Everybody! Sorry for the REALLY long wait this time...Life has been unnecessarily cruel this last week; and a lot of personal stuff came up. Hopefully, nothing else happens, and I'll be able to continue updating this story frequently.**

 **Anyway, as always a big "Thank You" to all those who read this story; and an even bigger "THANK YOU" to those who review. I love reading the reviews, some are funny, some are flattering, and others are helpful; ALL bring me great joy. So thanks to everyone!**

 **And also as always, a HUGE "Thanks" to Selaxes for making sure this story is polished, and not a jumble of nonsense. :-D**

 **P.S. See if ya'll can figure out what's so funny about a certain wolf that shows up in this chapter; fair warning, it's very subtle. ;-)**

* * *

 **Alright, without further adieu, Chapter 10 "Smells Like...Revenge".**

* * *

"Well, somebody seems to be in a much better mood." the nurse chuckled.

The little woodchuck had patiently waited outside the office door while Judy and Chief Bogo were conversing. Normally she would have been rushing around, tending to an average of ten patients; however, special accommodations were being made for the adorably odd couple she'd been assigned to. Until she was told otherwise, her instructions were to ensure the comfort and care of both mammals which included being available at all times. Usually this would be a huge inconvenience to the hospital, but the chief of police had insisted that it was a 'top priority' for these animals to be treated and cared for. Luckily, Jenny Hyrax had agreed to come in to cover Melissa's regular duties freeing her to focus on the little bunny for the time being.

So when Chief Bogo had opened the door, Melissa had been waiting, ready to wheel Judy wherever she wanted to go. Unsurprisingly, Judy had wanted to return immediately to the examination room where she had last seen her fox. However, Melissa had been able to convince the bunny to stop by the cafeteria after arguing that Nick was unlikely to be finished so soon. As Judy ate a carrot and sprout sandwich, the little nurse couldn't help but smile; they were SOOO cute together.

"Of course I'm in a good mood! I'm pretty sure things are looking up now," Judy replied with a smile as she finished her sandwich. She couldn't help but feel immensely pleased with herself. Sure she was stuck in a wheelchair for the time being, and Nick was injured, but she was pretty sure her friend was going to be allowed into the academy now. Judy had no doubt that both her and Nick would heal up just fine, and now, Nick could have a real future.

Bogo wanted her back on the force, and, more importantly, so did the city council members. Admittedly, Judy didn't know much about politics but she did know that when a politician was deposed, his or her replacement almost always came from somewhere down the ladder. The arrests of both Bellwether and the assistant mayor meant that the next mayor of Zootopia would almost certainly be elected from the city council. Personally, Judy didn't believe that her involvement in the Night Howler case absolved her from the harm her words had caused at the press conference, but she knew many mammals would see her as a "hero". Judy had never wanted to be a police officer for fame; she genuinely just wanted to make the world a better place. But fame made for a useful bargaining chip when it came to politicians and Judy was pretty sure they were willing to negotiate for the positive publicity she could offer. It was a bargain Judy was willing to make, if it meant Nick would be allowed a clean slate and a real chance.

Now she just had to wait a month for the elections and for a new mayor to decide her and Nick's fate. She had meant what she'd told Bogo; there would be no 'Officer Hopps' without an 'Officer Wilde', not anymore. Smiling, Judy liked the sound of that, _'Officer Wilde'_.

Sure, Bogo hadn't seemed thrilled by her request. First because of the difficulties it presented, and then because he seemed to recall what an annoying ass the fox had been…the ENTIRE night. But by the end of their conversation, they had reached a tentative agreement. If the new mayor agreed, Nick would be granted amnesty from all past crimes, with a few exceptions, as well as admittance to the ZPD academy; in return, even if Nick didn't graduate, Judy would be back on the force and participating in promotions for the city. If Nick wasn't granted amnesty, or wasn't allowed into the academy, then Judy adamantly refused to return. Chief Bogo seemed pretty sure that Nick would either not make the cut, or would burn out before graduation. So, as he'd said, he liked the odds of not being stuck with 'that insufferable fox'. Judy on the other paw KNEW that Nick would graduate; she wouldn't allow anything else. They were going to be partners.

Turning a last corner, her pleasant thoughts vanished like mist swept away by a strong wind as they approached Examination Room S-16 for the second time that night. The door was still closed, but Judy's long ears could hear whimpering coming from inside.

* * *

Fifty-nine agonizing minutes later, and the door finally cracked open. Surprisingly, neither Nick or Dr. Chitwa emerged. Instead a smallish, black wolf with a name tag indicating he was Ian Howle exited the room. Upon seeing the two smaller mammals waiting outside, a brief scowl crossed his face. Approaching, he looked directly at the little woodchuck nurse before muttering, "All yours, Mel. I'll be back in a few minutes," and stalking off.

Distracted, Judy didn't notice the wolf's hostility. Instead, her eyes and ears were trained on the open door. She could see russet fur and tropical green on the examination table. A heartbeat later, and Dr. Chitwa was blocking Judy's view of the room's interior. Slowly exiting the room, and gently closing the door behind her, she sighed as she turned to face the little doe.

"How is he?" Judy whispered not liking the doctor's weary expression.

"He's stable," Dr. Chitwa answered with a small smile. However, this didn't seem to appease the small bunny; who looked ready to demand more information. Nervously, the red panda wrung her paws together. "I was actually hoping you might help me with something," she began. "Do you know if Mr. Wilde has a medical proxy? Someone authorized to make medical decisions on his behalf, in the event that he is unable to? Perhaps a relative or close friend?", she asked hopefully.

Judy's vision blurred as she tightened her grip on the wheelchair padding. _'What's wrong with him?! Why is she asking that?!'_ , she thought frantically. The first tears slipped from amethyst eyes before the doctor noticed the effect of her questioning.

"Oh, no! No, no, no! I'm only asking because of hospital policy," the doctor rushed to assure, "He's very drowsy right now but he should be fine." Her explanation didn't have the desired effect...at all. The little bunny began to openly sob.

"Th-then..wh-why…di-didn't you say so?", the bunny managed between sobs.

Looking uncomfortable, the doctor gingerly patted Judy's paw. "There, there Miss Hopps. Your friend is alright, now. I was just trying to follow procedure."

Judy felt warm paws rubbing her shoulders again, the nurse was truly a blessing. Judy was an absolute emotional wreck tonight, and she didn't know how she would manage without Melly's kindness. Reaching up, Judy grasped around until she found one of the velvety paws; gently squeezing it for comfort.

Sighing, Dr. Chitwa rapidly began to explain, "There are medical privacy laws in place to protect the medical records and health information of patients. These laws prevent disclosure of medical or health information without a patient's approval. Since Mr. Wilde has been deemed unfit to make his own medical decisions, as a result of head trauma potentially affecting his cognitive function, a previously appointed medical proxy would be the most appropriate course of action. Mr. Wilde will likely be unfit to make medical decisions for at least a few days; and while Chief Bogo has suggested an alternative, a medical proxy previously appointed by Mr. Wilde would be preferable."

Temporarily ceasing her verbal deluge; the doctor's focus shifted to the area behind Judy, seemingly searching for something, before subtly nodding her head.

Her sadness giving way to curiosity, Judy followed the doctor's gaze. Something, or someone, must be behind her, given the doctor's rapt attention. Ears swiveling, Judy was able to hear a shuffling noise coming from down the hall. Twisting in her seat, Judy glanced in the direction the noise was coming from. The same black wolf from before was moving towards them; pushing a wheelchair that was slightly larger than Judy's, and clutching a thin manila folder in his right paw. Blatantly ignoring the bunny the wolf nodded briefly to the woodchuck as he made his way down the hall. Pausing briefly to deliver the folder to the doctor; he quietly opened the examination room door, and slipped inside.

Judy desperately tried to catch another glimpse inside the room; but the wolf's relatively large frame thoroughly blocked her view. Crestfallen, Judy returned her focus to the doctor who was looking exceedingly distressed as she read the contents of the folder. A questioning look on her face, Judy asked, "Can you please tell me anything? What's wrong? How is Nick?"

Releasing an exasperated huff, the doctor gestured towards the door. "We can discuss everything inside the room."

* * *

As the nurse maneuvered the wheelchair through the doorway, Judy got her first good look at Nick… and began to cry.

' _Oh Nick.'_

Ignoring the comforting words the nurse was trying to calm her with, as well as the doctor's alarm and the wolf's confusion; Judy continued sobbing. Nick was curled on the examination table, dead to the world. His upper torso and left shoulder were covered by a green cast, with his arm jutting awkwardly to the side; and his facial fur was matted, as though with tears.

Judy suddenly found herself once again buried in woodchuck fur, as the nurse hugged her. Rubbing her back soothingly, and whispering assurances; the nurse eventually managed to calm Judy's sobbing into light sniffling.

"What's wrong with him?", she quietly asked, raising her head from the woodchuck's embrace.

Shifting nervously, Dr. Chitwa replied, "Normally, doctor/patient confidentiality would prevent me from divulging any of Mr. Wilde's information without his consent, but extenuating circumstances require me to break this confidentiality. However, for the record, I am against violating Mr. Wilde's privacy."

' _Well, I guess that explains why she looks so uncomfortable.'_ , Judy thought.

"Please, I just want to know what's wrong with my friend. Will he be alright?" Judy implored.

Warily, the doctor continued, "Mr. Wilde has sustained fractures to his left shoulder; four ribs are also fractured, two were almost broken. His entire left side is badly bruised; likely the result of blunt force trauma. The MRI results show no evidence of bleeding or swelling of his brain; which is very good. However, his cognitive function does seem to be temporarily impaired; he's evidenced signs of confusion and agitation, and was complaining of fatigue and a migraine." Pausing, the doctor hesitantly added, "He also has a deep laceration on his lower back, which required stitches."

Brows furrowing in confusion, Judy questioned, "A laceration? Can you tell what caused it?". Their night had been filled with danger; but Judy didn't recall an opportunity for Nick to be cut.

"I don't feel comfortable speculating, and unfortunately Mr. Wilde was not forthcoming as to how he sustained the injury," Dr. Chitwa replied tersely. Softening a little, she added, "However, I can estimate that the wound should heal within 2-4 weeks. The fractures should be healed within approximately 6-8 weeks. It's a little more difficult to estimate how long Mr. Wilde's cognition will be impaired, but the concussion does not appear to be severe, so hopefully no more than a week. Barring complication, Mr. Wilde should fully heal."

Perking a little, Judy gave the doctor a wavering smile, "Thank you, Dr. Chitwa."

"Hmmph. Don't thank me just yet; you're going to have your work cut out for you," the doctor said looking very unamused. She then motioned for the wolf; who Judy had barely noticed since entering the room. Loudly clapping his paws together, he seemed to wait until it was clear Nick wasn't going to wake up. Delicately, he lifted Nick, being mindful of his injuries; and placed him in the wheelchair, lightly securing him in place with a belt.

"Huh? What do you mean? My injury isn't nearly as bad as Nick's are," Judy queried with confusion.

Shaking her head and lifting the manila folder, the doctor replied, "Well, obviously Chief Bogo didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?" Judy questioned.

"Well I'm not sure what your plans were; but your parents have been contacted, and they are coming to take you back to Bunnyburrow to heal," the doctor supplied; before being interrupted by an irate rabbit.

"What?!" the bunny exclaimed. "I still have my apartment; I don't NEED to go home. I can take care of myself."

Raising a paw, the doctor interrupted, "Miss Hopps. Apparently your personnel records with the ZPD listed your parents as your emergency contacts. Chief Bogo thought it would be appropriate to call them, and come to an arrangement."

Scoffing, Judy realized this was undoubtedly part of Bogo's revenge for Nick's night-long harassment. _'Dumb Fox.'_. "And just what arrangement might that be?" Judy angrily questioned.

"Well, apparently several of your brothers and sisters are nurses; and some still live at home. Which is perfect for providing post-discharge care…", the nurse started before Judy's ears tilted backwards.

The door cracked open, revealing the grinning muzzle of Chief Bogo who must have been waiting just outside the room.

Judy visibly shivered at the chief's smug smile. _'This CAN'T be good.'_.

"Hopps, your parents just called. They will be here in 90 minutes to take you and Wilde to Bunnyburrow," he pleasantly informed. Judy found herself nodding absentmindedly, still partially paralyzed by the buffalo's gaze.

' _Wait? WHAT?!'_

* * *

...

…

Groaning, Nick became acutely aware of a throbbing, aching pain that seemed to encompass his entire body. Letting out a pained, and shaky exhale; he quietly waited for the feeling to become a little more bearable before opening his eyes to deal with the world.

He stiffened, as his ears twitched at the sound of quiet shuffling. A tentative sniff had him furrowing his brows in confusion; _'Huh, that's weird. Smells like…_ '

Eyes shooting open, Nick felt stabbing pain lance straight through his optic nerve; as seemingly blinding white light burned into his retinas. Yelping, Nick quickly tried to shield his eyes from the light as he heard something scurry away.

More shuffling, this time closer. Nick carefully peeked out between his claws.

' _Huh. Hell's a lot fluffier than I thought it'd be.'_


	11. Chapter 2-1: Double Dog Dare Ya

**Hey everybody! So first off, a couple of BIG announcements!**

 **\- I want to do something nice for those who read and review with regularity; but I want to keep it a secret, so ya'll can be surprised ;-) So what I'd like is this: If you'd like to participate, just shoot me a pm saying so, or include it in a review. Like I said, I want to keep it a secret, so no details, but I think ya'll will like it :-D**

 **\- Cimar pointed out that last chapter, Judy's parents shouldn't have been arriving so quickly. I thought I'd had the timeline worked out perfectly, but upon taking a second look, realized I was wrong. So a couple of changes were made to Chapter 10: 1st, Judy and the nurse waited outside the examination room for 59 minutes (not 30 minutes), before they were able to see Nick; 2nd, at the end of the chapter, Judy's parents were an hour and a half away (not 30 minutes). And the timeline issue has been resolved! Thanks Cimar!**

* * *

 **Okay then, on to "Review Responses":**

 **Thank you as always for the wonderful and sweet reviews. Most of you had absolutely HILARIOUS reviews, that literally had me laughing out loud! XD As always, thanks so much to everyone who reads and reviews!**

 **Now for a couple explanations:**

 **\- Regarding Judy coming across as immature: My reasoning is that Judy has had a long night, that has been physically, mentally, and emotionally draining; she's injured, her friend is injured, and her friend lied to her. In the movie, we saw that Judy can be an emotional bunny (particularly when it comes to Nick). I know plenty of girls/women who are Judy's age or older, and will cry for less; heck, I'm one of those girls. :-)**

 **\- Regarding Bogo's "Revenge": Bogo's "revenge" was indeed a wise decision by the buffalo. But here's the thing… I never said that Judy was the one who considered it revenge, now did I? ;-) Think about the title for a minute; "Smells Like… Revenge". The words "smells like" only appear once in the chapter; when Nick smells something in Bunnyburrow. Judy was just unhappy about having to go home, to her worrisome parents; and was shocked that Nick was going with her. Bogo's revenge was against NICK. ;-)**

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 **As always, THANK YOU Selaxes for editing!**

 **Lastly, everybody keep an eye out for a "kind-a-sorta" Easter Egg this chapter. Let's see who gets the reference ;-)**

* * *

 **Well, sorry that all took so long. We've finally made it to Between the Lines: Part Two! Hope ya'll enjoy "Double Dog Dare".**

* * *

Nick slowly peeled his paw from his face, allowing it to drop lightly onto the plush mattress. _'Where the hell am I?'_ he thought as he tried to quell his rising alarm. This wasn't where he slept. This room was filled with delicate pastels, soft lighting, earthy smells, carrot motifs on the wall… what appeared to be dozens of rabbit kits…all staring at him with wide eyes and twitching noses.

Blinking slowly, Nick waited to see if the little bunnies vanished… _'Nope, still there.'_ Either he was completely delirious from blood loss, and having a heck of a vivid hallucination, or he really was in an annoyingly, cheerfully colored room being stared at by a veritable hoard of young rabbits.

Clutching downy sheets with his right paw, Nick was abruptly aware that he couldn't move his left arm. Eyes widening in panic, he attempted to kick and claw his way into a sitting position. Which turned out to be a HORRIBLE idea as his entire left side suddenly exploded in excruciating pain. _'Sweet Mother Marian! Shit!'_ Unable to prevent the loud yelp that was torn from his muzzle he bit down on the whimpers that so desperately wished to follow. Ears pinned to his skull, eyes pinched tightly shut, teeth clamped firmly together, Nick waited with bated breath for the agony in his side to diminish.

His ears flicked sideways as the soft shuffling of tiny feet once again drew his attention. Horrified gasps and terrified whispers, followed by more shuffling and then the gentle sensation of the mattress shifting. Startled, Nick felt an impossibly small paw daintily stroke the fur along his right shoulder as an almost imperceptible weight settled beside him on the bed. Although they remained narrowed in pain, Nick gradually managed to unscrew his eyes revealing a tiny brown face peering back, barely inches from his own muzzle.

"Mr. Judy's Fox, are you okay?" the little one questioned in a soft, adorable voice.

Attempting a humorous snort at the bunny's fanciful name for him, Nick instead found himself groaning as a fresh wave of pain shot through his chest. It seemed his body wouldn't allow anything more strenuous than breathing… which Nick was thrilled to discover, also hurt. _'Uggh, it feels like an elephant decided to use my chest as a hoofstool.'_ , Nick thought while taking shaky, shallow breaths hoping that the pain would go away. _'Okay, new plan. Absolutely no moving, no talking, no anything. Keep the breathing to a minimum; if I'm lucky, I'll pass out again.'_

* * *

A few minutes passed as the pain gradually dulled to a throbbing ache. The little brown bunny had settled into the crook of his right arm, and proceeded to calmly stroke his paw while chattering about a multitude of seemingly random topics. Nick didn't really want her touching him, but harsh glares seemed to only elicit giggles from the oblivious kit and shooing her away wasn't worth the risk of increased pain. Instead, Nick remained as motionless as physically possible, not daring to tempt his battered side, and simply prayed the small bunny went away, or at least stopped talking.

' _Hmmph. Weird little bunny; not afraid of foxes.'_

Unfortunately, the rest of the little bunnies seemed even more determined to impede his attempt at becoming a living fox statue. A pawful of the tiny creatures were getting braver, even going so far as to "sneak" to the side of the bed, and poke him when dared by their whispering cohorts. Scowling, Nick resisted the urge to growl; _'Growling only gets you in trouble... They're just kits... Besides, with my luck, I'd growl and my side would split open,'_ he groused silently.

And then it happened. Nick barely had time to process the rapidly approaching pawsteps, before a loud and vicious **'SLAP!'** reached his ears… and a fresh bout of agony began to radiate across his body. Yelping loudly, Nick couldn't believe what had just happened;

' _Did that little punk just slap my…'_

Several of the little bunnies were whispering, seemingly impressed, until one loudly exclaimed, "He touched the butt!"

A sudden shift in the mattress alerted Nick to the departure of the small brown bunny moments before the rapid thumping of a tiny rear paw was heard. "Why are you being so mean?" came the indignant voice of the little brown female.

Ignoring the pain long enough to flop his head to the side; Nick saw a tiny brown bunny in a light blue dress, staring down a group of marginally larger kits. Paws on her hips, and scowling as fiercely as Nick imagined any bunny could… she looked like a petulant stuffed animal. _'Pffft. My hero,'_ Nick thought sarcastically.

The bigger bunnies didn't seem impressed by her act either. Scoffing, a male kit at the front of the group replied, "Geez, relax. We're just having some fun."

Pointing angrily behind her, the tiny female cried, "Well I don't think HE'S having fun! You better stop, or I'm gonna tell!"

The little bunnies began to whisper; Nick could barely make out what they were saying, but "I dare you" stood out prominently. _'Oh HELL no!'_

Closing his eyes, Nick heard scuffling, and then the unmistakable sound of an animal attempting to yell while a paw was held over her mouth. Not moving a muscle, Nick waited. His right ear twitched as the sound of rapid pawsteps began again…

' _Screw it.'_

Furious emerald eyes flashed open as a vicious snarl tore from Nick's bared fangs less than twelve inches from a rabbit kit, frozen, his paw still reaching towards Nick's backside. The fox looked every bit the savage predator that his ancestors had been, snarling down at the suddenly meek little bunny. The wide eyed, terrified look in the kit's eyes, as well as the acrid smell that assaulted the fox's sensitive nose, practically assured that Nick would be left alone. His side was throbbing, but the adrenaline seemed to be taking the edge off; and while Nick wasn't particularly proud of what he'd just done, he was grateful that he wouldn't have to worry about dumb bunnies for quite a while.

"AAH! AAH! DADDY! HELP ME!" the kit screamed while running from Nick's still snarling maw.

Most of the bunnies scattered, bolting for the door as quickly as their little legs would carry them, some even dropping to all fours in order to scamper away faster. It wasn't long until the room was mostly empty, only Nick and the little brown female remained. Giggling, the tiny bunny approached the agitated fox who was still growling quietly. Mossy green stared down vibrant emeralds;

"I'm not afraid of you Mr. Fox," the little kit said with a laugh; before climbing back onto the mattress to resume her previous seat. "Aunt Judy says you're a nice fox."

Snorting, Nick centered his head on the cushiony pillow, and tried to relax.

"Did you see? Nemo peed his pants!" the bunny giggled.

The fox smirked in reply. _'Yeah, he sure did.'_

' _Wait a second… Judy…Dumb Bunnies…Carrots…CARROTS!'_

The irritated, rapid thumping of a paw abruptly shook Nick from his musing. Gingerly turning his head, Nick was greeted by the sight of Judy Hopps… Paws on her hips, scowling fiercely… _'Crap.'_

* * *

"Mina! What have I told you about bothering Nick?" Judy scolded.

"To not to," the tiny bunny replied contritely as she snuggled further into Nick's side.

Gently, Nick began to stroke the bunny's small ears soothingly, holding her close with one large paw. It still amazed him that she didn't shy away from his claws. Nick actually liked kits… usually. They tended to be less biased and hateful than adults, at least until their parents and society ruined them. This little one seemed particularly kind and sweet… now if only she would realize he had a headache, and cut the chatter. But still, a pretty good kit.

"She…" Nick began before his speech devolved into a dry coughing fit. After the coughing subsided, curious, Nick ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth… bone dry. Carefully moving his paw from the small bunny kit, Nick mimed drinking from a cup.

"Oh! Right. I'm so sorry. I'll be right back!" Judy exclaimed. Her irritation seemingly forgotten, the gray rabbit rushed from the room.

Slowly, the tiny bunny lifted her head from the fox's side. Looking forlorn, the kit made to leave the bed. Instead, a gentle paw stopped her; and scooped her back in place. A large finger ruffled the fur between her ears; glancing up, Mina saw Nick smiling down at her. Cuddling up against him once more, Mina decided she really liked this fox. _'He's a good fox. Aunt Judy should keep him.'_


	12. Chapter 2-2: Revelations

**Hey everybody!**

 **First off, I'm incredibly, INCREDIBLY sorry that it's been SO long since I've posted a chapter. Since I have no problem with full-disclosure, I've had a recent flare-up of depression. Luckily it's mild, but it's been killing my motivation and making writing very difficult. I seem to be doing a little bit better, so hopefully I can get back into a regular update schedule.**

 **That being said, on to the "Review Responses":**

 **Errinyes01 – I actually felt an immense satisfaction as I wrote Nick snapping at the little bully.**

 **niraD – That is high praise indeed. Thank you** **I'm glad you enjoyed Nick's first encounter with Judy's siblings. I loved writing it.**

 **HawkTooth – It could have been a lot worse. I chose to err on the side of not maiming Nick TOO badly, since I'd like to have him healed up and shipped off to the academy sometime this year ;-)**

 **Cimar – I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Also, I LOVE Mina! At least in my head, she's like a tinier Judy, complete with all the sass.**

 **Iaya R. White – Welcome to the gang! Hope you enjoy the future chapters as well.**

 **Mewtwo-TheLoneShadow – Thank you, I strived for utter cuteness with the last chapter. ;-)**

 **Everyone else – Thanks SO much for the praise and input! Seriously, I'm going to try my best not to wait so long on future updates. Thanks for hanging in there.**

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 **Special "Review Response" – Kudos to tweiler18 for catching a Cars reference in last chapter! I actually forgot whether "To not to" was actually in a Disney movie or not; I thought so, but couldn't remember which. So seriously, major props for calling out a reference the author wasn't aware of XD**

* * *

 **As always, Thank You to all who read, and an extra Thank You to those who review. Reading reviews absolutely makes my day!**

 **Recently this story made it to over a 100 Favorites! So excited!**

 **Next goal 175 Follows and 100 Reviews! We're SO CLOSE!**

 **And an EXTRA BIG THANK YOU to this story's delightful editor, Selaxes! Thanks for putting up with my two week silence.**

* * *

 **Anyway, I own nothing; Disney reserves that privilege.**

 **Please enjoy Chapter 2-2: Revelations**

* * *

' _Oh, sweet cheese and crackers! MINA!'_

Judy was halfway back to the guestroom, bottle of water in paw, before she realized what her haste had blinded her to; her niece hadn't left the bed. Mina had still been in the room…alone…with Nick. Her fast walk abruptly became a frantic dash back to the room. Cursing her stupidity, Judy prayed that nothing bad had happened. She prayed that Mina was still safe.

* * *

Skidding to a halt, Judy resisted the urge to rip open the guestroom door and snatch her niece away. From what her siblings had told her, any sudden movement could be a VERY bad idea right now. Attempting to calm her racing heart, Judy carefully placed one large ear flush against the door…

' _Pheww,'_ Judy breathed a sigh of relief. The musical chime of tiny laughter could be heard inside.

Attempting to smooth her panic-ruffled fur, Judy was glad to see she hadn't dropped the water in her rush. Taking a deep breath, she gently knocked three times before slowly twisting the handle and pushing the door open.

"… and Mama said you can't get your arm wet until you get better. But we can go swimming when you do!", the little kit finished excitedly before her small brown ears swiveled and a frown marred her adorable face. Ears drooping and eyes downcast, the little bunny turned to see her aunt standing in the doorway; _'Ooops'._

"Mina. Please come over here. Now," Judy sternly ordered.

Carefully, the little bunny extracted herself from Nick's side, and slid off the bed. Head hanging low, the tiny kit shuffled over to her aunt. Nose twitching, and eyes on the verge of tears, Mina solemnly awaited her judgment.

Softening her expression, Judy sighed. "Just go outside for now. I promise you can play with Nick when he's all better. Okay?"

Sniffling, Mina rubbed at her eyes. "Bu-But he seems better now. And you've been saying that for a long-time now," the kit cried.

Sparing a glance towards the bed, Judy noticed Nick listening with rapt attention. _'Oh boy. Well, one problem at a time,'_ she thought to herself. Bending low, Judy gathered the tiny kit into her arms. Gently nuzzling the still sniffling kit, Judy quietly whispered in the kit's ear. "You know why you can't be in this room. It's not safe Mina."

Suddenly, the little kit pulled away. "He WON'T hurt me! He only scared the others because they were being mean to him! They were hitting him!" Mina yelled.

Startled, Judy looked at the kit incredulously; then turned her gaze towards Nick…who suddenly appeared to have fallen asleep again. _'Well then. This should be interesting,'_ she thought. _'At this rate, my family's going to kill the both of us.'_

All the kits in the burrow had been warned MULTIPLE times to leave the injured fox alone, and yet several dozen had been caught in the guestroom…multiple times. Sighing, Judy pulled her niece into a hug, then gently nudged her towards the door. Giving one last longing look towards the bedridden fox, Mina gave a tiny wave goodbye, and exited the room.

Hearing the door close behind her, Judy nervously straightened her blouse, and walked towards the bed.

"Nick, I know you're not asleep," Judy irritably informed him. The fox's only reaction however, was a light snore.

Judy scowled and crossed her arms, "I can HEAR your heartbeat Nick."

"Crap."

"Uh-huh. Didn't think that one through very well did you?" she said.

Raising one clawed finger in protest, Nick opened his mouth to object, but was cut off as he began violently coughing.

Ears jolting upright, Judy rushed to her friend's side. "Are you okay?! Nick, what's wrong?!"

"Wa…", Nick managed before devolving into another coughing fit.

"Yes?! What's wrong?! Do you need something?!" she asked almost frantically.

Rolling his eyes, Nick motioned to the creamy fur of his throat and again mimed drinking.

"Oh! Right!" she exclaimed. After removing the cap, she carefully brought the bottle to the fox's lips and waited for him to open his mouth.

Scowling, Nick reached for the water. His whole body ached and throbbed, but he'd be damned if he couldn't take a drink by himself. Smirking triumphantly as his fingers closed around the smooth plastic, he gingerly raised the bottle to his lips. Tipping the bottle forward, he felt his grip slipping a heartbeat before the bottle tumbled from his paw…and right into Judy's… _'Well damn. This is embarrassing.'_

Petulantly, Nick allowed Judy to hold the bottle as he drank. The first few drops brought almost excruciating bliss, followed swiftly by sweet relief as the cool liquid slid down his parched throat. He was SOOO thirsty! For years, he'd spent countless hours working in Sahara square, and was well acquainted with the desert biome of Zootopia. Hell, he'd even gotten a few mouthfuls of sand when an unexpected storm rolled in. He'd experienced thirst plenty of times in his life. At the moment however, every previous thirst was dwarfed by the seemingly insatiable thirst he felt now. A thirst that was thankfully, slowly being extinguished.

Nick had to bite back a whine when Judy withdrew the bottle. He reached for the water, but the bunny shook her head, "Sorry, Nick, but you need to drink slowly. If you drink too much too quickly, you might get sick. You can have some more in a little bit."

"You know, Carrots, you could cut a guy some slack. My mouth's drier than a camel's fart right now," the fox grumbled.

"NICK! Watch your mouth!" Judy chided.

"I'd love to watch my mouth. So long as I can watch my mouth being filled with nice cold water. Give me the bottle back bunny," Nick sassed while attempting to grab the water bottle with his one good paw. However, Judy simply took a step back out of the fox's reach.

"Besides, my mouth IS drier than a camel's fart. IN FACT, I'd say my mouth is currently drier than a mummified camel's fart, in an oven, in the middle of Sahara Square, in the middle of the afternoon, on the hottest day of the year, during a record-breaking drought," Nick replied with a smug grin.

The little gray bunny merely crossed her arms and gave the fox an unamused look.

"You're overly dramatic, you know," she opined.

Smirking, Nick replied, "Do I know that?"

"Oh hush."

"Yes, yes I am.", the fox smugly finished. "Now give me back my water, rabbit."

* * *

The last ten minutes had consisted of Nick whining that he was dying of thirst, trying in vain to telepathically summon the bottle to his paw, more whining, grumbling about evil bunnies withholding water from thirsty foxes, and finally declaring that if Judy REALLY loved him, she'd give him the water.

"Judy?"

"Mmm?" She was sorely tempted to think Nick was messing with her, trying to sucker her into giving him more water, but he sounded so hesitant, so unsure. Carefully studying the fox's face, Judy noticed how he seemed to be struggling to keep his ears erect and how he seemed reluctant to meet her gaze. _'A chink in his armor,'_ she thought. Besides the multiple bone fractures and his bruised brain, it appeared something else was bothering him. "Yes Nick?" she delicately questioned.

His ears finally lost the battle, and quickly vanished as they pinned tightly to his head. She could hear him take a tiny sniff, almost imperceptible, as his eyes lowered. For as hard as he seemed to be attempting to mask his emotions, Nick Wilde looked positively downtrodden.

Even with her large ears, she had to strain to hear as he whispered, "I thought you weren't afraid of me anymore."

Judy was speechless, _'Cheese and crackers! He did hear.'_ Her ears drooped against her back, and her pink nose twitched, once, twice, three times. She seemed frozen. _'Darn it Judy! Get it together girl, you need to fix this!'_

Snapping out of it, she rushed to assure him, "I'm NOT! I'm not afraid of you Nick!"

His eyes snapped to her as he scowled, "Don't lie to me Judy! I can SMELL how scared you are. I'd NEVER hurt you, or anyone for that matter. I'm NOT a savage."

Just like after the press conference, he seemed torn between being angry and being hurt. Wincing, Judy realized she'd have to come clean about everything that had happened. Unfortunately for her, Nick saw the wince, and misunderstood, closing his eyes, he huffed and turned his head away from her.

Silky paws gently brushed along his arm. "Go away," he groused.

A deep sigh, the feathery feeling of a dainty paw tracing along his uninjured shoulder to his muzzle. The gentle, yet firm, pulling of his snout, forcing him to face her, despite his eyes remaining tightly closed.

"Nick, I'm not afraid of you."

She paused a moment before continuing. "I was scared for Mina." A scornful noise from the fox was the only reply she received. Sighing, she explained, "You had a concussion Nick. You haven't been yourself. You…" she hesitated, unsure how much she should tell him. One more look at his closed eyes and the dejected set of his muzzle, and she decided he deserved the whole truth, _'Even if it hurts a little.'_

"You were hurt pretty badly, and because of the concussion, you haven't been thinking clearly. The doctor prescribed some sedatives to help you sleep, so your brain could heal. You haven't been awake very often, but there have been several…incidents when you were. The doctor said it's a normal reaction for injured predators, but my siblings decided it would be best for everyone if we isolated you for the time being. The kits weren't supposed to be in the room, they've been warned several times to stay away but the lock isn't very hard to pick, you just need a toothpick, and they're curious. I'm SO sorry. But, this isn't the first time you've woken up, Nick. It's also not the first time you've seemed lucid. It-It's not even the first time we've had this conversation."

At this point, the little bunny was openly sobbing. Fists clenched, ears down, face scrunched as tears rolled down her grey cheeks. _'What the hell happened?'_ Nick wondered. _'First things first…'_

"Judy?"

"Please don't hate me. I-I didn't mean to be a horrible friend. And I know I hurt you, but…" she cried.

"Judy!" Nick shouted. Violet eyes raised to meet sparkling emeralds. A tender smile, "Get in here, Carrots."

Head hanging, sniffling, Judy approached the bed and carefully climbed up beside him, gingerly laying her head beside his chest.

"Okay, oh, you bunnies, you're so emotional. There we go, deep breath," the fox soothed, rubbing the bunny's back. A few moments passed in bliss as the two comforted each other.

"Nick?"

"Mmm, yeah, Fluff?"

"Are you, are you just trying to steal the water?"

"…"

"Nick?"

Raising her head, she observed the VERY guilty look on her companion's face, as well as his paw poised purposefully above the water bottle.

"… Nooooo. No I am not."

* * *

"So…", the fox began a minute later, "How long have I been out?"

The bunny seemed reluctant to answer, and tried to burrow deeper into her companion's side. A few gentle prods later, and she mumbled a reply.

"Sorry Carrots, you're going to have to speak up. Not all of us mammals are blessed with radar dishes attached to our skulls," he chuckled lightly.

Sighing, the rabbit repeated, "12 days."

There was an audible gulp from the fox. _'I've been out for almost two weeks! How can I not remember anything! The last thing I remember, we were in the hospital, and some bastard wolf was wrenching my arm off at the shoulder…'_

"What happened while I was out?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

Confused, the bunny questioned, "What do you mean?"

"You said there were, and I quote, 'several incidents' while I decided to take a 'thoughtless' vacation."

Chuckling weakly the bunny replied, "That was bad, Nick. Even for you."

"Cut me some slack. Apparently, I decided to scramble my brain like Sunday breakfast," he deadpanned. She didn't laugh, she was still too scared. Coughing nervously, he continued, "Anyway, what happened Judy? I want to know."

She sighed wearily, and seemed unable to look him in the eye. "The doctor sedated you pretty heavily so we could drive you to my parents' place in Bunnyburrow. You've been sedated most of the time you've been here, but we've had to wake you a few times so you could eat and…umm… use the restroom."

Glancing at the bunny tucked under his arm, Nick was amused to see that her ears had flushed a lovely shade of crimson, reminding him of their trip to the Mystic Springs Oasis.

"Anyway, you never seemed particularly happy when you were awake. You were in a lot of pain, even with the sedatives and pain killers. You…you were growling and snarling a lot…and you almost bit one of my brothers when he was changing your dressing."

Nick was in shock. _'No wonder they're scared of me.'_

Seeing the look on his face, Judy rushed to reassure him, "Don't worry! My siblings who are nurses already explained to everyone that it's a normal reaction to pain. And my brother's not mad at you or anything! He's a nurse at Bunnyburrow Interspecies Medical Center, so he's worked with injured predators before, and he understands that it happens."

Nick still looked shell-shocked. Judy frowned, _'How can I fix this?'_ Drawing a blank, Judy settled on soothingly rubbing his stomach and carefully nuzzling his side. Slowly, his heart rate calmed, and she noticed an almost sleepy look on his face. _'No! Not yet.'_

Slightly confused, Judy felt Nick's muzzle wedge between her ears, and gently nuzzle her fur. Slowly, she decided it felt rather nice. Bunnies had a reputation for being very affectionate, cuddly mammals, and Judy was no exception. Despite her independent nature, being in Zootopia without several siblings to snuggle with had been hard on her. It's why she had so many stuffed animals. Happily resigning herself to Nick's nuzzling, Judy felt herself becoming a bit drowsy herself… before she was roused by Nick's voice.

"Sooooo fluffy!"

"NICK!"

"What?! You ARE fluffy!" he defended.

She huffed, "You and your fluff lust."

"Hmmm. You holding out hope, Fluff?" he questioned her salaciously.

"What?" Her eyes widened as she realized what he'd suggested. "NICHOLAS WILDE! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" she screeched.

"Sorry, Darling, that's a bit too kinky for my tastes," he winked.

Spluttering, Judy's ears turned bright red as she resisted the urge to throttle the injured, laughing fox. _'He might just break if I punch his arm right now,'_ she thought irritably. _'I'll have to remember to kill him later.'_

"Shut up," she grumbled.

"You know you love me," he smirked.

"Pfft, you wish."

Light chuckling reached her sensitive ears. She smiled as she settled in beside him… she really was starting to get sleepy. She'd been so worried lately that she hadn't been getting much sleep. Hearing Nick laugh felt so reassuring, as though everything were okay again…

"Carrots?"

"Mmm, yeah, Nick?" she asked sleepily.

"How many times have I woken up, and… well, forgotten?"

Blinking, the little bunny sighed, "Six times."

The fox shifted uncomfortably. Looking up, Judy saw that his eyes were heavy-lidded, but he seemed to be resisting the urge to fall asleep. Closing her own eyes, and burying her face in his side, "Go to sleep, Nick. Everything will be alright. I'm sure you'll remember everything this time."

Nuzzling between her ears a little more, Nick mumbled, "And how many times have you said that?"

"First time," she answered.

' _Liar.'_ Closing his eyes, he felt Judy shift, carefully removing herself from his side, and from the bed.

"I hope I remember this time," he mumbled, already half asleep.

"Me too, Nick. Me too."


	13. Chapter 2-3: Take Two

**Hey everybody! So, sorry again for the slow updates, I'm quickly approaching the end of my school quarter, and it's frankly kicking my butt a bit right now. Everything is good other than that though. At this point I'm pretty much done with optimistic projections; updates will likely be slow for the next couple of weeks (sorry in advance). I AM NOT QUITING THIS STORY though, just so everyone knows. After the quarter is up, I'll have two weeks where I can write to my heart's content.**

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 **With that out of the way, on to Review Responses:**

 **A huge "Thank You" to everyone who wished me well regarding my recent bout of depression. I'm managing much better than I was, and my overall outlook has improved for the time being.**

 **DrummerMax64: I LOVE writing Mina; my little sister is a huge inspiration in regards to her spunky attitude. J**

 **Cimar: I love including twists, and make it a personal goal to drop "breadcrumbs" and mysteries in every chapter; even if they're well hidden, they're there ;-)**

 **Mister Cuddlesworth: I know I already pm'd you about it, but I love the shameless tactic ;-)**

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 **As always, a HUGE "Thank You" to this story's wonderful editor Selaxes! Couldn't do it without you. "Thank You" to everyone who reads this story, and a BIG "Thanks" to everyone who reviews (I LOVE reading what ya'll have to say)**

* * *

 **Anyway, without further adieu, Chapter 2-3 "Take Two"**

* * *

' _Huh, what a weird dream.'_

Not that he was complaining or anything, he'd certainly had worse experiences while watching the backs of his eyelids. When it came to sleeping, Nick rather enjoyed the blissful, dreamless nights; the nights where he could just close his eyes and disappear until the next morning. Curious, Nick tried to remember details from his peculiar dream. _'Soft, fuzzy… something. Something about carrots? Eh, whatever. Figure it out later.'_

Groaning, Nick became keenly aware of a dull ache that seemed to envelop his whole body. Releasing a somewhat shaky exhale, he tried to recall why he was so sore. _'What happened?'_ Deciding that he didn't want to deal with the world just yet, Nick stubbornly refused to open his eyes. _'Five more minutes won't hurt. Besides, should be safe; can't hear or smell anything.'_

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, Nick couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. _'Weird.'_

Brows furrowing in confusion, Nick suddenly realized that wherever he was, was NOT where he normally slept. It was far too quiet, and the smells were completely wrong… In fact, now that he was paying attention, Nick could tell that the room was saturated with the scents of several animals; all prey mammals based on the strong smell of grass permeating the air. Thinking about it, it actually smelled like the room was filled with the scent of…

' _WHAT THE FRESH HELL!'_

Eyes shooting open as he frantically attempted to scramble backwards, Nick became acutely aware of two things:

One, moving hurt. A lot apparently.

Clutching his suddenly throbbing side, Nick glanced down at "Thing #2" in near panic. SOMETHING was under the covers with him; something unfamiliar, squirming, and breathing.

Biting down on the instinctual growl threatening to rumble from his chest, Nick carefully peeled the quilt off the intruding, mysterious lump…

Confused, the fox's head tilted as he gazed upon the furry little intruder. _'What in the name of Maid Marian is going on here?!'_

Curled into the fox, and clinging adorably to the carrot-patterned pajama shirt that Nick KNEW wasn't his, was a small bunny. Curious, Nick leaned down to sniff at the fur atop the small mammal's head… _'Huh, smells familiar.'_

The snuffling between her long ears seemed to partially rouse the small bunny; as her delicate pink nose began to twitch and she began nuzzling into the fox's stomach, clutching at Nick's shirt as a small giggle escaped her dainty pink lips. _'Okay, that has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen.'_

Repressing a chuckle, Nick continued watching the funny little creature. _'Weird. Brave little bunny.'_

Nick suddenly found himself unsure of what to do. On the one paw, he wasn't exactly comfortable being cuddled by some strange animal, but on the other paw he didn't really want to wake the cute little bunny. Squirming against his middle, the bunny released a series of adorable, tiny squeaks in her sleep. _'Awwww.'_

Smiling, Nick made up his mind. Not quite sure what he was doing, he curled around the smaller mammal, carefully, and awkwardly, draping an arm over the bunny. This seemed to please the tiny rabbit, as she continued nuzzling him before settling against him with a content sigh.

* * *

Nick continued to stare at the ridiculous-looking clock on the wall; a strange device that was shaped like a white bunny with wide eyes that shifted with each tick of the clock. _'Seriously, that's just creepy. Like something out of_ _Kits of the Corn_ _.'_ Nick had been awake for approximately thirty minutes, the bunny still curled up against him, very much asleep.

His ears swiveled as a gentle knock came from the door, followed shortly by a second, then third knock. As the door quietly opened, the little bunny began to stir, her mouth opening wide in a dainty yawn as she stretched her paws above her head. Blinking her large eyes, she shifted so she was gazing up at the fox with a buck-toothed grin. "Good morning Mr. Judy's Fox."

' _Mina,'_ Nick remembered. _'Carrot's niece. I'm at Carrot's house. That's right, I banged my head and took an involuntary two-week sabbatical. Uggh, not to mention I was rammed by a ram and fell in a giant crater. No wonder I hurt so bad.'_

Nick managed to muster a smile as he greeted her, "Morning, Mina." Scenting the air again, a smirk settled on the fox's muzzle. Without turning around, he chuckled, "Morning Carrots."

"You know, I SHOULD ignore you when you call me that. But good morning to you too, Nick. How're you feeling?" Judy greeted casually…too casually, with just a hint of nervousness tinting her inflection. Remembering yesterday, or at least what Nick thought was yesterday, he guessed that she was still worried about his memory, or lack thereof. It was kind of touching, how she could care so much even though they barely knew each other. He remembered the worry in her eyes the last time he'd seen her, and the tears that she had shed for him. He also remembered something else, _'…nuzzling? She nuzzled me?'_ he thought with confusion. _'Maybe it's just a bunny thing? I mean, Mina seems real cuddly and nuzzly…'_ Stealing a glance at the tiny kit still nestled beside him seemed to support that theory; after all, the kit was cuddled up as close as she could be to the much larger fox. But that wasn't all Nick remembered. _'I-I nuzzled her back.'_ Nick DIDN'T nuzzle. Sure, he was friendly, and even pawsy at times, but he wasn't into cuddling or nuzzling…

A tiny giggle thankfully distracted the fox from his musings. Deciding to file the confusing memory away, and bury it, deep where it could never be found, Nick refocused his attention to the small brown bunny tucked against him.

"Oh? And what's so funny now, Tiny Carrots?" the fox asked with a quirked brow.

Giggling, the little bunny carefully raised herself so she was peering back at Nick with wide mossy green eyes. "How'd you know it was Aunt Judy, Mr. Judy's Fox?"

' _Judy's Fox, eh?'_ Chuckling, Nick answered the curious kit, "Well Tiny Carrots, I'm sure you have some pretty good hearing, right?"

At this the little kit's eyes brightened. "Uh-huh! Sure do! We bunnies have super ears!" the kit exclaimed excitedly.

Smiling, Nick continued, "Yeah, you bunnies sure do. Well foxes, like me, don't have as good of hearing as you bunnies; but we have something else that's pretty super."

"What?!" the excited kit asked.

Chuckling, Nick tapped the tip of his snout with one clawed finger.

Tilting her head as her face scrunched in confusion, Mina guessed, "Your nose?"

"Right you are Tiny Carrots," Nick replied with a smirk.

Continuing to look confused, the kit's right rear paw began to rapidly twitch, much to Nick's amusement. Finally seeming to realize something, the kit asked, "You mean you SMELLED Aunt Judy?"

"Yep, sure did," the fox replied with a smug expression.

At this revelation, the tiny kit carefully began squirming away from the fox, and hopped off the bed. Turning his head to follow her progress, Nick watched as the cute little bunny quickly scampered over to her aunt who had her paws on her hips, a motherly scowl on her muzzle. Mina however, seemed oblivious to her Aunt's irritation; raising her paws above her, reaching for the older bunny in the universal signal for "Up".

Sighing, Judy reached down and pulled the kit into her arms.

"Mina, what have I told you about…" Judy trailed off as the little kit grabbed her face between two small paws, pulling their faces close together… and taking a loud sniff of her aunt's fur. Eye's widening in surprise, Judy just stood there in shock. Nick, meanwhile, had completely lost his tenuous fight to hold back laughter, and was guffawing loudly as he clutched his side.

Turning back towards Nick, Mina loudly exclaimed, "You must have a SUPER nose, Mr. Fox! I hardly smell her from here!"

Nick practically had tears in his eyes as he continued laughing, although he wasn't sure if it was because the situation was just that funny, or because laughing was REALLY starting to hurt his side. Rubbing at his eyes with his good paw, the fox's laughter finally died down.

Judy was trying not to chuckle, she really didn't want to give Nick the satisfaction. With a small, tender smile at her niece, she said, "Mina, why don't you go play with the other kits?"

Casting a look towards Nick, Mina pleaded, "But I want to stay with him! He's really soft, and tells funny jokes! And besides, SOMEBODY has to protect him when you're not here."

"Well I'm glad SOMEBODY around here appreciates my skillful mastery of humor," the fox quipped from his bed. "But while I appreciate the sentiment, I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh, hush you," Judy admonished.

Twisting in her aunt's arms, and placing her tiny paws on her hips, fierce mossy green met vibrant emeralds; "Yeah! We're taking care of you whether you like it or not."

The little kit's ferocity caught Nick off guard. Numbly shaking his head, "Well, when you put it that way…"

Giggling, the kit jumped from her aunt's paws and rushed over to the bed, her tiny cottontail wiggling excitedly behind her. "Do you want any food? Water? I can get you another pillow!" the kit offered.

"Umm, actually…", the fox hesitated. _'This seems a lot more embarrassing than it should be,'_ he thought wryly. "Where's the restroom?"

"Ohhhh, I'll go get Daddy! He's home now, so he can help you!" the kit exclaimed.

"WHAT?! NO!" Nick shouted, but Mina had already rushed from the room, and was out of sight.

Giggling turned Nick's attention to the bunny still in the room; "Uh-huh, what's so funny Carrots?" Nick asked sarcastically, already dreading the awkwardness of another mammal coming to "assist" him.

Continuing to laugh, Judy just shook her head, "Oh, Nick, how do you think you've been going to the bathroom every day?"

Eyes widening as his ears lowered, Nick decided that he very much so DIDN'T want to think about that.


	14. Chapter 2-4: Uncomfortable Situations

**Guys, I seriously have NO idea what happened. I sat down to study, and got so bored… And wrote this incredibly long (for me anyway) chapter instead; coincidentally, turns out this is the longest chapter so far!**

 **Also, I passed the test I was studying for, which I REALLY needed, so yay!**

 **So, still no promises on future chapters coming within the next two or so weeks; but hopefully this helps make up for it. I will TRY to get chapters out soon, but again, no promises.**

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 **Announcements:**

 **Recently this story hit a couple of milestones, we've made it to over 125 "Favorites", over 200 "Follows", and over 20,000 "Views". So excited!**

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 **Anyway, on to Review Responses:**

 **Selaxes** **: Lol, yeah. "Nick's hero"! ;-) Seriously though, that's a BIG job keeping the kerfluffle away!**

 **Erinnyes01** **: Well, at least now Nick has a realization that something odd happened that morning.**

 **DrummerMax64:** **Thank you for the well wishes! God knows I need it in regards to finals XD**

 **MrAndersIversen** **: Here ya go! Brand new chapter!**

 **niraD & Half-elf** **: Mina's too cute. Just seriously adorable, and probably one of my favorite characters to write.**

 **Zeronone** **: Welcome to club! Cimar is an AMAZING writer, and I still can't believe their following my story.**

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 **As always, a HUGE shout-out to Selaxes for editing the story; couldn't do it without you Forge! And a big "Thank You" to everyone who reads this story; particularly those who review, I love reading what ya'll have to say.** **J**

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 **Anyway, hope ya'll enjoy this latest enstallment, Chapter 2-4: Uncomfortable Situations**

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"CODE GREEN! CODE GREEN! GET BACK IN BED RIGHT NOW YOU BAD FOX!"

"ACK! CARROTS, DON'T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME!"

"CODE GREEN! DAAAAAAADDDY!"

"OWWWW! SERIOUSLY, GET OFF ME YOU FURBALL!"

Removing his ear from the door, the male rabbit shook his head and slowly knocked once, twice, three times. The violent commotion from inside the room quickly quieted as he gently pushed the door open. Quirking a brow at the odd sight before him, he crossed his arms as he patiently waited for an explanation.

Without breaking what appeared to be a poorly-executed choke hold on the much larger fox, a fox who was currently down on three limbs and appeared to be attempting to crawl away, a small brown face turned towards the door. "DADDY!", the kit yelled excitedly. Shifting to a more indignant tone, she continued, "We have a Code Green! Make Judy's Fox go back to bed! He won't listen to me!"

Glancing at the rather disgruntled looking fox, the male rabbit sighed before turning to the gray and white doe standing by the bed. In a voice delicately laced with a country accent the male asked, "So, Jude, how long has Nick here been awake then?"

"Not sure, Jayce. He was awake when I got here fifteen minutes ago," Judy calmly replied.

Looking back at the bunny kit, who had now climbed off the fox's back and was instead attempting to drag him by the rear paw, Jayce questioned, "And what exactly is going on here? Mina, what have I told you about being rough with the patient?"

Looking abashed, the kit lowered her gaze as she answered, "To not to." However, her grip on the fox's paw remained steadfast.

Whining, Nick chose to interject, "Please, I just want to pee in peace! Get her off me!" Vibrant emeralds turned again to the gray and white bunny behind him, "Come on, Carrots! Do something!" the fox begged.

"Nick, she's seven. If you can't even fight off a kit, you OBVIOUSLY shouldn't be arguing against help," the doe chastised.

"She's really strong for her size…" the fox mumbled, so quiet it wouldn't have been heard if not for the three sets of large ears in the room.

Judy shook her head in exasperation. "Mina, let go of Nick. Your dad's here now, so he can help Nick to the bathroom."

"I DON'T need help going to the bathroom. I just need this fuzzball off me," the fox grumbled.

"Nick, you almost fell out of bed! The only reason you didn't was because Mina and I managed to catch you before you hit the ground. Do you have any idea the kind of damage you could cause to your injuries if you fell?!" Judy yelled.

"My paw got caught in the sheet!" Nick growled.

"Oh, you are SUCH a LIAR!" the gray bunny growled right back.

"Oh, is that because I'm a fox?" Nick seethed.

"No, it's because YOU'RE A LIAR!", the bunny shouted. "Just like you LIED about not being injured! And how you LIED about being checked for injuries at the crime scene! "

"Well SORRRRY for putting your well-being first Fluff. Next time I'll remember…"

A loud "Ahem!", broke up the rather heated discussion; resulting in three sets of eyes falling on the rather large brown buck.

"Well then. Mina, let go of Judy's Fox. Judy, stop yelling at Nick; yelling is only going to increase his blood pressure, which isn't good for his head injury."

Smiling, the buck addressed the fox, "Alright, Mr. Wilde. Well, my name is Jayce Hopps and I'll be your primary nurse while you're in the warren. You're a fall risk, so as embarrassing as it may be, you WON'T be going to the bathroom on your own."

Walking over to the larger predator, the buck gently shooed his offspring away and carefully helped the fox to his paws. Nick was surprised to see how large the rabbit was. He knew Judy was pretty tall for a bunny, but this rabbit was about a head taller than her and built much more robustly.

"Geez, what do ya'll eat?", the fox asked with slight wonder.

"Mostly alfalfa and carrots," the buck smirked. "But pretty much any veggies that we grow here on the farm."

' _Ha. Well, I guess the quick wit also runs in the family then,'_ Nick wryly thought.

Nick sighed as the rabbit carefully helped him walk across the room. Pausing at the doorway, Nick hated to admit that he was already feeling fatigued, and only the immense pressure within his bladder kept him from crawling back to bed. Still, he desperately wanted to avoid the coming awkward calamity that was speeding towards him like a runaway train; an image of Judy and him, fighting rams and "driving" an out of control train car suddenly came to mind unbidden.

Shaking his head, Nick insisted, "Seriously, I appreciate it and all, but I DON'T need, or want, help going to the bathroom."

Smiling, Jayce just looked at Nick for a moment. "Mr. Wilde, I understand that it's often uncomfortable for mammals to be exposed in front of strangers, but I assure you, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

Nick rolled his eyes at the professional words and tone of voice. _'Yeah, like that's EVER comforted a mammal about having their bits exposed.'_

"Seriously, how do you think you've been going to the bathroom all this time?" the buck questioned with a hint of amusement.

Nick's ears lowered, feeling rather embarrassed. As a general rule, he had nothing against nudity, and sometimes it did feel good to lose the constrictions of clothing; but the idea of being around a strange mammal while doing THAT, well, that didn't exactly give Nick the warm fuzzies.

"Besides," the buck continued, "Second night you were here you were hallucinating something fierce. Ended up running out of the room buck ass naked screaming about red polar bears. You're lucky none of the kits saw you."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Despite the close proximity of the bathroom to Nick's guestroom, Nick was exhausted by the time he'd finally relieved himself, and, despite the awkwardness of the situation, he was very grateful for the sturdy buck's presence. Shaking with fatigue at having exerted himself, Nick was currently resting on the closed toilet seat with his head resting on his paws. He hadn't even been awake an hour and he already felt utterly spent.

Hoping to distract himself, Nick struck up a conversation, "Sooooo… Judy's what, your sister?"

Brightening a little, the other male enthusiastically replied, "Yup, Judy's my littermate! Me and Jude are part of Ma and Pa's tenth litter, Litter 'J', along with Jerry, Jethro, Justin, Jake, Jack, Jax, Jagger, and Jenny."

Lifting his head from his paws, Nick looked incredulously at the male rabbit. "That's a LOT of siblings. Geez, I guess what they say about bunnies is true then huh?" he chuckled.

At this, the buck started to laugh heartily, a deep boisterous laugh. "Red, you have NO idea!"

Wiping away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye, Jayce continued, "Pa still likes to joke about there being 'ten in ten'. You know, ten kits in the tenth litter. Rabbits tend to have multiple kits per litter, and ten isn't even the most Ma's had in one go; but it was still one heck of a coincidence."

Looking, and sounding, a bit apprehensive, Nick posed another question, "So how many siblings do you have? Total I mean."

The brown buck didn't hesitate to answer, "Three hundred and eleven, including Judy."

"WHAT?!", Nick yelled, "HOW?!"

"Well, Mr. Wilde, when two rabbits love each other very much…" the buck replied with a smirk.

Flabbergasted, Nick was having trouble wrapping his head around the idea. Sure, rabbits were known for multiplying, but that was just ridiculous. _'How the heck does a mammal have that many kits?'_ Nick wondered, _'How do they even feed that many bunnies?'_

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Nick decided to change the subject, "So, you're a nurse?" _'Wow, that sounded pretty lame. Way to change the subject Wilde.'_ Nick thought to himself.

If Jayce agreed with Nick's inner dialogue, he didn't voice it. "Yup, graduated from Bunnyburrow University of Nursing back in 2012. Spent the first year working at Bunny-Burrow General Hospital, but wanted to work with a more diverse clientele, so I've been working at Bunnyburrow Interspecies Medical Center for the last three years. My wife, Melany, works there too now." A tender smile settled on the buck's muzzle. "We've been together since we were fifteen."

"Well, that's quite an accomplishment these days.", the fox offered.

Chuckling, the rabbit replied, "Yup. Been together for nine years now. Got pregnant back when we were only seventeen; can't even begin to describe how scary it was at the time. Especially when we had to tell our folks. But looking back, it was all just a stepping stone to where we are today."

"Heh, that almost sounds like an Alan Jacklopeson song." Nick commented.

"Where do you think I got the inspiration?" Jayce chuckled.

"So, how many kits do you have?" Nick asked.

It was subtle, but Nick was an expert at reading mammals, and he saw the unmistakable hint of sadness that crept into the buck's eyes. Realizing he'd just said exactly the wrong thing, the fox quickly tried to backpedal out of the sticky situation.

"I actually think I'm ready to head back now if you are," Nick stated.

Sighing the buck continued, "It's okay Nick. It is what it is. Mina is our only kit. Probably the only one we're gonna have too. There were… complications during the pregnancy. Doc said the chances of Mel getting pregnant again aren't so good. 'Bout one in a million, I think."

Silence hung heavy in the air.

"I'm so sorry," Nick quietly and sincerely offered.

Smiling weakly the buck replied, "Thanks, Nick. It's okay though. After all, as I'm sure you've noticed, we have one hell of a kit."

Nick chuckled, "That you do, Jayce. That you do. She's a little bruiser that one."

"Yeah, she sure is," Jayce laughed.

"No, seriously, I think I'm going to wind up with bruises where she tackled me. Are all the females in your family so violent?"

Deep, hearty laughter filled the tiny bathroom, spilling under the door and into the hallway beyond.

* * *

Judy huffed irritably. She felt bad for yelling at Nick, but he was being completely unreasonable about his injuries. She HOPED his memory was back, but she couldn't be sure until Melany came back and checked him out. However, this was the first-time Nick had remembered previously waking up in the burrow, so Judy took that as a positive sign. Sighing, Judy resolved to calm herself before Nick and her brother returned. Jayce was right. Yelling at Nick would only cause harm at this point… She'd just have to remember to yell at him twice as long once she was sure his head was fine. Although if she were completely honest with herself, she wasn't even that angry anymore, she was just scared… and a little hurt. _'I know we barely know each other, but after all we've been through, I wish he could open up a little and accept help,'_ she thought wistfully.

The gentle sensation of a tiny paw stroking her leg drew Judy's attention downwards. _'Mina.'_ The tiny kit was calmly stroking her aunt's leg in a bid to soothe her. Remembering Mina attempting to wrangle the injured fox back to bed brought a smile to Judy's face. _'My little Mini-Me'_ , Judy thought fondly. Most of her siblings had previously commented on the striking resemblance between the two… at least in regards to attitude and ferocity.

Scooping the kit into her arms, Judy walked over to the bed, plopping down on the edge. Several minutes passed peacefully as the two cuddled together on the sky-blue quilt embroidered with carrots.

Eventually, the kit looked at her with wide mossy green eyes, "Aunt Judy?" the little one questioned.

"Hmm, yes Mina?"

"Will Uncle Nick be okay?"

Chuckling, Judy asked, "Uncle Nick? I'm sure he'll be flattered, but when did you decide that?"

"When I decided you should keep him," the kit stated unabashedly.

Laughing, Judy replied, "Well I'm pretty sure we're going to stay friends, so I guess I'll keep him around."

"Not what I meant…" the kit mumbled.

Ears perking as her brow furrowed in confusion, Judy asked, "Well, what…"

Three knocks abruptly ended the conversation as Judy rushed to open the door.

"Dumb bunny…" Mina grumbled, rushing to go help her daddy and her favorite aunt.

* * *

Nick sighed in contentment as he sank into the plush mattress, _'A fox could get used to this.'_ His ear twitched as he closed his eyes, _'On second thought, probably shouldn't,'_ he thought to himself.

"Nick? You aren't falling asleep again are you?" came the worried voice of a certain gray and white bunny.

"No, Fluff. Just trying to escape from the overwhelming amount of carrots in this room. It's on the walls, the sheets… these pajamas. Bunnies are so weird. That'd be like me going around wearing bunny-print shirts all the time," the fox joked.

"Nick!" Judy gasped. "That's in really poor taste," she chided.

"I know," came the fox's smug reply.

Rolling her eyes, Judy turned to her littermate. "Any idea when Mel is going to get here, Jayce?"

"Well, she was helping mom make lunch… I let her know to get down here ASAP, and she said she'd be here in fifteen minutes, that was about thirteen minutes ago, sooo… yeah. She should be here any minute now," the buck answered.

As if on cue, a knock came at the door. Mina rushed to greet the cream-colored, sable-point doe that entered the room.

"Mama! Mama!" the little kit sang while bouncing excitedly around the female.

Laughing as she lifted her daughter into a tender nuzzle, the female quietly said, "I hope you haven't been too much trouble, Mina. Daddy said you were wrestling with Judy's friend? You know you shouldn't be so rough on him dear. He needs to heal sweetheart."

"I know Mama, but he wouldn't get back in bed!" the little kit explained.

"Hmmm, well, we'll talk about that later dear. Right now, Mommy has a patient to take care of. Would you like to assist sweety?"

Nodding her head vigorously, the tiny kit squirmed free of her mother's grasp and rushed to the bedside table, retrieving a small black bag, the kit waited patiently beside the fox's bed.

Nick watched this new rabbit warily, some instinct, or forgotten memory, was screaming at him that she was dangerous. _'That's just ridiculous…Then again, she IS Mina's mom… And Judy's pretty crazy, too… Never mind, considering rabbits dangerous is actually sounding more and more sane. ESPECIALLY the females.'_

"Hello, Mr. Wilde, my name is Dr. Melany Hopps. Jayce explained that you need an evaluation of your head injury. Let's begin."

The next several minutes were filled with the cream-colored bunny asking a multitude of questions, including "Have you had any headaches since awakening?" and "Have you experienced any pain or fatigue since awakening?". To which, "Yes, your daughter, while an absolute joy, has led to several headaches and a lot of pain since I woke up," was apparently NOT the correct answer. A stern look from Judy, and an indignant look from the kit in question, and Nick answered truthfully that he had not experienced any headaches since awakening this time, and while he experienced pain and fatigue, it was mostly related to moving.

"Waking up this morning was pretty rough. I twisted the wrong way, and I swear it felt like I'd gotten into a fist fight with a rhino," Nick quipped.

Judy started giggling, "I actually did."

"What's that, Carrots?" the fox questioned.

"I actually did get into a fist fight with a rhino. Couple times in fact," the doe answered.

Cocking one brow, Nick asked, "Oh yeah, and how did that work out for you, Miss Super Bunny?"

Looking smug, Judy replied, "Well, out of fifteen matches, I kicked his tail ten times. Complete knockout each time."

Impressed, Nick asked, "Oh yeah? What about the other five times?"

Judy laughed, "I imagine it felt like you did this morning."

Smiling, the doctor intervened to deliver her verdict, "Well Mr. Wilde, it would appear that your memory is back in order. We'll continue to monitor you while you're here in the burrow, and we may perform another CAT-scan before you leave, but you should be fine."

The large smile that lit Judy's face sent flutters through Nick's chest. _'Still not used to someone caring,'_ he thought.

"So, Nick's going to be fine?" the gray doe eagerly asked.

"Yup, your friend should be just fine, Judy."

"Woot woot!" Judy shouted while jumping in the air, raising one furry fist in triumph.

The cream-colored doe laughed at her sister-in-law's antics. "While I'm here, I'll check his physical injuries as well."

Nick's ears pinned back; he was getting that bad feeling again, something bad was going to happen.

"Okay, Mr. Wilde, unfortunately you're going to be stuck in the cast for another four weeks. Nothing we can do for that but keep the cast nice and dry, do NOT stick anything inside the cast trying to scratch an itch. Now, let's change your dressing, shall we? Mina please leave the room."

Sudden realization dawned on Nick, eyes widening, but he was too late to protest, the evil bunny already had her paws on the edge of the bandage.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"

Pitiful whimpering followed the loud yowl that accompanied the gentle pulling of the bandage. Looking at the malicious rabbit with a look of shock and betrayal, Nick asked, "Why?"

"Sorry, Mr. Wilde, the area was shaved at the hospital, but unfortunately, a few stray hairs always seem to get stuck under the bandage," the doctor replied.

"A few! That was more than just a FEW!" the fox cried. "Wait… What do you mean the area is shaved?!"

The doctor explained, "Well, they couldn't sew you back up with the fur in the way; that can lead to a nasty infection. And trust me, pulling the bandage off would feel a LOT worse if the area wasn't shaved."

Nick sighed, _'At least the fur will grow back._ ' He waited patiently as the doctor cleaned, examined, and redressed his wound.

"Mr. Wilde, you're in luck. The wound appears to be healing nicely and there doesn't appear to be any sign of infection or complication. I'd say another week and the stitches should be completely dissolved," the doctor informed him.

"So, Nick…" Jayce carefully began, "Can you tell us how you sustained the injury? Your medical record shows that the injury had already partially healed, and was reopened that night at the museum, but there's no record with the hospital or the police about how the original injury occurred."

Despite the effort Nick put into preventing his ears from pinning back, he couldn't stop the momentary flicker, or the way his body tensed, avoiding looking at Judy, he had the sickening feeling that the smile he had plastered on his muzzle wouldn't fool her one bit. "Sorry, I can't seem to recall. Must be the concussion, sorry," he answered.

A brief pause before a quiet voice whispered, "Nick, please. What happened?"

"Sorry, Carrots, but I just don't know. Too bad I hit my head. I guess now we'll never know."

"Nick…"

"Just drop it, Judy. I don't remember. Okay?" Nick replied, irritation seeping into his voice.

"Damn it, Nick! You were STABBED! How can you just sit there and pretend that nothing happened?!" the bunny cried.

Eyes hardening, Nick turned his back to the trio of bunnies, careful to hide his newly bandaged back beneath the covers. The other bunnies left, all but Judy. She stayed with Nick for several more minutes. She tried a few more times to get him to tell her, but after a while, she simply sighed before quietly leaving the room as well.

' _I can't tell her. I can't hurt her like that.'_


	15. Chapter 2-5: One Carrot At A Time

**Hey guys, sorry for the insanely long hiatus... writer's block was a total pain. But I'm on break, and hopefully I'll be posting a bit more regularly (at least hopefully no more several-months in between chapters). Again, sorry guys. :-(**

 **Well, without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 15: One Carrot At A Time**

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 **Oh, and as always, Thank You to Selaxes for editing and for everyone who reads, follows, and reviews this story. P.S. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :-) (Hint, hint).**

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"Stupid… Stubborn… Lying… Ugggh, that DUMB FOX!"

Pink nose twitching, grey and white paws paused on the stone path leading to the guest house, long ears flicking forward as angry muttering continued to be heard from up ahead. Nervously tightening her grip on the light blue ceramic casserole dish she clutched to her chest, the doe carefully renewed her march. _"Oh my sweet heaven! I hope that fox hasn't gone completely nuts again. I mean really, all the snarling and the growling, and the teeth…"_ The casserole dish almost tumbled to the ground as the grey and white doe shuddered. _"The TEETH! More like knives really. Clearly designed for ripping, and tearing, and killing…"_ Grey lids obscured amethyst eyes as another shudder wracked her body at the thought of those teeth being in the same room as her offspring. Her thoughts were interrupted as the slamming of a door from up ahead startled her back to reality. Shaking her head to help clear the residual fear lingering instinctually at the back of her mind, the doe carefully reasserted her grip on the hot dish, strengthening her resolve to finish her task so she could go back to her own, safe, burrow and resume her knitting. Those Kitsmus sweaters weren't going to knit themselves after all.

* * *

"Keeping secrets and lying! Ooooh, I swear, the MOMENT he heals I'm going to kill him. Why, I have half a mind to march right back in there and twist his ears until he tells me who hurt him!" Judy fumed.

A hearty, masculine chuckle followed her outburst, "Now Jude, you know I love you to carrot pieces and all, but Melody would have my furry hide if I let you go and ruin all the hard work she's done fixin' up your friend," Jayce teasingly scolded.

Her violet eyes flashing with rage, the small grey bunny turned on her littermate. "And just WHAT is so funny Jayce? Nick is lying in there, barely able to move because he was almost KILLED protecting me! Not to mention he did so while ALREADY injured! I mean, who in the heck stabs someone? And Nick's just sitting there, not saying anything, while the-the SON OF A B…"

"JUDITH LAVERENE HOPPS!"

All the fury seemed to drain from the little female as her ears fell and her eyes dropped in shame at what she had almost said. Slowly lifting her gaze, she saw her mother standing there, casserole dish in tow, silently frowning as her rear paw tapped a furious staccato on the stone path.

Just as Judy went to open her mouth, her mother cut her off with a raised paw. "I understand that you are worried about your friend Judith, but you had better watch your language. You may be grown, but you are still my kit and I WILL wash your muzzle out with soap if I hear such foul language come from you again. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," Judy timidly replied as she again lowered her gaze. Frustrated, she could already feel tears beginning to well up, slowly blurring her vision even as she fought to hold them back.

"Oh, sweetheart!" Bonnie exclaimed as she darted forward, quickly shoving the casserole dish into her son's paws so that she could sweep her daughter into a warm, motherly embrace.

Bonnie's heart ached as her strong, beautiful, brave daughter, Jude the Dude, her little trier, trembled while weeping silently in her arms.

"Shhh. Shhh, hon bun. Everything's going to be okay," Bonnie soothed as she tenderly stroked her kit's fallen ears.

"Just look on the bright side hon. Your friend is healing, he's awake, and Melany says there shouldn't be any lasting damage. That whole nasty business is over now."

A small, scornful sounding huff was the only reply she received. Bonnie gazed tenderly down at her daughter, nuzzled against her bosom, reminding her of so many years ago, back when Judy was a little kit and the world had been so harsh to a little bunny with such big dreams; back when every problem could be solved with a mother's love, a hug, and some carrot cake cookies.

"You did good sweetheart, amazing really! None of us ever thought a bunny could do something like that, save a whole city and all. But you proved us wrong. My little trier, you did something incredible. Your dad, me, your three-hundred eleven brothers and sisters, we couldn't be more proud of you Judy."

"Proud, but terrified?" the younger female mumbled in an amused tone, a touch of teasing laughter evident in her voice even though tears still lingered in the corners of her eyes and her ears remained pressed against her back.

Smiling, Bonnie lowered her gaze to meet the watery amethysts that so mirrored her own; "Now I wouldn't be much of a mama if I wasn't terrified for my kits, now would I?"

"You'd still be the best mama in the world; terrified or not.", Judy replied sincerely, smiling up at her mom as the first traces of her standard, perky confidence began to reappear.

Pawing away the moisture she felt gathering at the corners of her eyes, Bonnie lovingly nuzzled the fur between Judy's ears.

"Well, now you're just buttering me up," she chuckled, temporarily ceasing her nuzzling in favor of running her chin firmly between her kit's ears and down her muzzle, ruffling Judy's fur in the process.

"Mom! … Mom. You're messing up my fur!" Judy squealed, laughing as she attempted to wiggle out of her mother's suddenly tight embrace.

Bonnie however, refused to release her squirming kit, tightening her grip and chinning her daughter again as she teased, "Oh really? You don't like having your fur unkempt? That's strange. I seem to recall a certain young bunny who'd put up such a fight when it was time to brush her fur."

"MOOOOOOOM! I'm not a little kit anymore!" Judy giggled, her ears finally springing up with enough momentum that Bonnie had to quickly dodge to avoid getting a muzzle full. Both mother and daughter enjoyed a good laugh together, before finally separating.

"Well, sweetheart, it's good to see you smiling again." Bonnie sighed, "Seems like there's been an awful lot of crying and droopy ears around here lately." The older doe chuckled. "And not just from your father for once."

Despite the excellent hearing provided by her long ears, Bonnie had to strain to hear Judy's mumbled reply. "What's that hon? I couldn't quite make that out."

Judy lowered her eyes, as she wrapped her arms around herself, looking embarrassed. Still mumbling a bit, but speaking more clearly this time, she whispered,

"I wasn't crying because I was sad. I was crying because I was angry, and it frustrates me." Hugging herself tighter and closing her eyes, the small gray bunny shook a little, "I'm sorry, mom. It's so embarrassing! But I let my temper get the best of me. I'm sorry for almost cussing. That's not like me at all. I was just so angry."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed marginally upon hearing her daughter's hastily spoken words.

"What's happened now? He didn't lose it again did he? That fox better not have hurt you again, Judy," Bonnie said, becoming visibly upset. "I know it's not very hospitable, but friend or not, I WILL have Jayce drop him off at the hospital if he doesn't straighten his furry, red hide out."

"It's been thirteen days now, Judy. Head injury or not, he can't be acting like a crazy mammal around here; not any more than he already has, anyway.", Bonnie murmured angrily.

"MOM!", Judy scolded, "I already told you, Nick didn't mean to grab my arm so roughly. You can't blame him when he hasn't been in his right mind since coming here! Besides, it didn't even bruise!"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Judy! That fox has hurt you plenty since he's been here! With both his words and-and…" Bonnie shuddered. She continued softly, "Don't think I don't know about the other times. Just because I wasn't around when it happened, doesn't mean I don't know about them."

Judy's eyes widened in shock as she unconsciously raised her paw to her left shoulder, _'Carrot sticks! Didn't think she knew about the other times. Great, just great.'_

Lowering her paw, Judy sighed. "Mom, Nick didn't mean any of that. If you know about the other times, then you should also know what Melany and Jayce said; it's normal for animals to lash out when injured. Throw in the fact that he's been hopped up on pain meds, sedatives, and God-only-knows-what-else since coming here. You know he hasn't been in his right mind. But that's all over now. Nick's back, the REAL Nick; the Nick I'm hoping you and Daddy will get along with," she finished hopefully.

Bonnie sighed as she raised a paw to lightly cup Judy's cheek, "Well, I suppose we can forgive your friend just this once. I'm just hoping that he's as great as you keep claiming. It'd be nice to see a side of him that isn't buck-toothed-crazy," she finished with a small smile.

A wide, toothy smile spread across Judy's face; she was practically glowing with happiness. _'Everything is going to be okay now,'_ she thought with relief.

Suddenly, a troublesome thought crossed her mind, causing her to furrow her brow in confusion.

"How'd you even know about the other times?" Judy questioned.

"A mother just knows these things. You were crying and upset just about every time you went to visit him," Bonnie answered. A grin slowly formed on her muzzle, "That and between your siblings, nieces, and nephews, I have a few hundred spies running around the burrow at any given time. It all gets back to me sooner or later. There's nothing that happens here that I don't know," she finished with an unsettling smile.

Judy's eyes widened once more as she realized the implications of what her mother was saying.

Bonnie smiled as she gave the younger rabbit a pointed look, "So just in case you're wondering; yes, I know about what happened last night with Nemo."

' _Oh moldy carrots!'_

Bonnie merely smiled at the painfully wide-eyed and terrified look her daughter had on her face. Chuckling, she patted Judy on the wrist before going over to where Jayce stood, eyes averted and doing a poor job of suppressing his mirth over the situation. Bonnie rolled her own eyes as she took her casserole dish from her son, smacking the back of his head as she walked past him.

"OWW! What was that for?" the large buck whined.

"For laughing at your sister," the mother bunny replied.

Crossing the threshold of the guest burrow, Bonnie called over her shoulder, "Well, are you two going to sit there all day? Or are you going to help me see to our guest?"

The two younger rabbits shared a look, before following their mother into the burrow.

"You know, for such a small female, Mom sure is scary sometimes," Jayce muttered, rubbing the now aching spot at the back of his skull.

"Believe me, I know," Judy whispered back.

…

"I HEARD that!"

* * *

"Irritating, stubborn dumb bunny," Nick quietly muttered to himself. _'Why can't she just let it go?'_

After the rabbits had cleared the room, he'd made a valiant effort to slip back into unconsciousness, he really had. However, it appeared as though his body was well aware that he'd had an excess of sleep as of late and refused to humor him. The dull ache that was now "blissfully" confined to his injured left side wasn't helping; nor was the light throbbing behind his eyes. _'Uggh. Dumb bunnies left the light on,'_ Nick thought irritably as the too-bright light shone through his eyelids to wage a direct, frontal assault on his poor brain. _'Not like it isn't already damaged,'_ he thought bitterly.

' _Wait, that didn't come out right… Great, now I'm insulting myself.'_

The vulpine sighed wearily. Maybe once his head cleared a bit, he could think of a proper lie to get Carrots off his back. _'Something simple, no need to over-complicate it. It just needs to be something that she'd believe.'_

However, the thought of lying to the little gray bunny didn't seem to sit well with him judging by the intense feeling of shame that was both unexpected and unwelcome. _'Ugggh! What the hell happened to not letting them get to you? Huh, Slick Nick? What happened?'_

His eyes shot open and his brow furrowed as he realized that he'd just used Carrot's nickname for him. _'Dumb bunny is absolutely ruining you. First, I think about giving up hustling. Then I feel bad about lying. What next? No more cheating at cards? No gambling? Oh, sweet Marian, I told her I'd be a cop! What the hell am I going to do? I can't just go play cops and robbers with a cute little bunny cop. Heck, I have more in common with the robbers!'_

Emerald eyes widened in alarm as the fox realized _exactly_ what kind of mess he'd gotten himself into. _'I'm going to go to jail.'_

His breathing became rapid and erratic the more he thought about his various misdeeds over the years. Soon, the thundering of his own heart roared in his ears, a furious train quickly careening out of control. His chest heaved, and he was panting, struggling to supply air to his desperate lungs as he drowned in the sins of his past and the uncertainty of his future. Nick could already feel his chest tightening, an inescapable vice squeezing down around his heart…squeezing, crushing, killing. His paw pads started to sweat and tremble uncontrollably. All across his body, he felt itchy beneath his fur, like millions of fire ants beneath his skin, crawling, gnawing, biting, burning, eating him alive.

The strangled whimper that left him was filled with despair. He knew exactly what was happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

Judy hesitated outside the door, paw raised to knock, but unable to bring herself to face her friend. _'He's lying in there, injured, and what do I do? I yelled at him! After all he's done to help me, after all the danger I put him in, I yelled at him!'_ she thought bitterly. _'I really am a dumb bunny.'_

Sighing, she once again tried to gather the courage to enter the guest room.

"Oh for goodness sake Judy! Just open the door," her mother griped irritably.

When Judy hesitated once more, Bonnie sighed before reaching around and opening the door herself; moving past her daughter and entering the room.

The fox was lying on the bed, a slowly breathing mound of orange fur and green plaster partially hidden beneath the sky-blue quilt. He was curled up on his right side, facing away from the door, long muzzle tucked into his chest. The musky scent of fox permeated the air, instantly putting the rabbit matron on edge as her instincts screamed for her to grab her kits and run away from the terrible danger she'd invited into her home. _'Just calm down Bon. Everything is okay.'_

Heavy footsteps announced Jayce's entrance to the room, the large buck having never quite mastered the art of moving silently as a rabbit should. A large, gentle paw on her shoulder startled Bonnie from her reverie. Looking up, she saw her son giving her a reassuring smile before quietly whispering, in a voice only she would hear. "It's okay mom. He ain't crazy anymore."

Jayce then moved towards the fox, stopping just shy of the bed. "Mr. Wilde? You awake there? You have some visitors."

There was no response from the fox, just the continued sound of his deep, rhythmic breathing.

"You know, asking was really just a formality; your heartbeat gives you away every time.", the buck chuckled, "Come on Mr. Wilde, you're in a burrow full of bunnies. We can HEAR when you're just pretending to sleep."

Angry muttering could be heard from the mound of orange, nothing discernible until, "Damn bunnies with their stupid big ears."

Behind the fox, two pairs of eyes widened in horror, as a third pair narrowed.

Nick felt a cold chill creep up his spine, as his fur raised instinctively in fear of the icy voice coming behind him.

"Hello Mr. Wilde. I'm Bonnie Hopps, Judy's mother. I believe we need to have a little chat."


	16. Chapter 2-6: Liar, Liar, Fur on Fire

**Hey everybody! Seems that the dreaded writer's block has decided to spare me for the time being; and this latest chapter was actually finished in a timely manner for once. Hurray!**

 **So as always, a big ol' THANK YOU to Selaxes for editing; I couldn't do it without you Forge!**

 **And a big THANK YOU to everyone who reads, follows, and reviews. Especially those who review; I LOVE getting feedback about the story, even if it's just a little note.**

 **Special note #1: After this chapter I will continue with my sporadic "early release" surprise messages for those who've asked for them; the rest of the surprises will have to wait for at least a little bit I think.**

 **Special note #2: This is actually the longest chapter yet; by about 700 words. :-)**

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 **Review Responses: Nothing specific this time, but thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! And is Nick in trouble? Why yes, yes he is ;-)**

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 **Without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 16: Liar, Liar, Fur on Fire**

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" _Hello Mr. Wilde. I'm Bonnie Hopps, Judy's mother. I believe we need to have a little chat."_

…

The fox went completely still, his blood freezing in his veins and turning him to stone before the sentence was even finished. He knew that tone of voice, knew it too well in fact; the tone that spoke volumes of anger, disappointment, and imminent doom… The imaginary vice that had finally released his chest was creeping back, attempting to crush him from the inside, smashing his heart against his ribs, filling his lungs with liquid fear.

" _Damn bunnies with their stupid big ears."_

His ears fell, quickly pinning against his skull, and his breath hitched as the terrifying realization washed over him. _'I'm dead.'_

Nick could feel his heart beginning to race, screaming for him to run, even as fear locked his muscles in place. His paws fisted in a poor attempt to hide their trembling. _'Not again! Not now! Please Marian not now!'_ Despite the fogging of his senses, the fox was still very aware of the three rabbits who had entered the room. It was too soon, the panic from before was still too fresh, springing forth again all too eagerly and clawing its way dangerously back to the surface. _'Please. Not in front of them…'_ His jaw clenched as he bit down a whimper.

' _Pathetic…'_

That tone brought memories, memories best left buried.

"Nick?"

A quiet voice, spoken softly, filled with concern and uncertainty and muffled by the sound of the blood pounding in his ears. _'Carrots.'_

"Nick, are you okay?"

This time the voice was clearer, closer, and accompanied by the sensation of a paw upon his own; a feather soft touch, so small, but warm. Calming, soothing, caring. _'Carrots.'_

The fox took a slow, deep breath filling his grateful lungs with air, focusing on controlling his breathing. He could feel the tension slowly slip from his body with his ears gradually lifting, his paws unclenching. _'Never let them see…'_ Cracking open one russet lid revealed the small worried gray face before him. _'Well. Guess it's time to put on a show...'_

"Hey, Carrots…" his voice was hoarse, too weak. He coughed, clearing his throat of both bile and nervousness. _'Well that went well…'_

She looked scared, unsure…and... ashamed? She hesitated.

"Nick, are you okay?" she repeated, brilliant amethyst eyes imploring Nick to answer. He looked away, unable to hold her gaze.

"Actually…" he began, seemingly unsure of himself, "My head's killing me. Any chance I could get some Oxcedrin? And maybe some more water?"

A quick, covert glance revealed that the bunny was clearly unconvinced, and still worried.

"Come on, Carrots. Are you really going to deny a mammal's dying wish?" the fox questioned dramatically, even adding another cough for dramatic flair.

The small female just rolled her eyes, huffing in exasperation at her friend's antics. "You foxes, you're so dramatic." she teased, some of the worry fading from her features. But not all of it, the fox noted with trepidation.

 **Again** she hesitated. "Is something else wrong? Your heart was beating really fast, and you were breathing weird," Judy asked, her eyes carefully searching his for any hidden lies or half-truths.

Nick sighed, looking slightly ashamed as he lowered his gaze.

"I'm worried about what your mom heard," the fox admitted, his words barely audible despite their close proximity.

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers…" the doe uttered, her own eyes widening in fear. She slowly turned her head to face her mother…

However, the Hopps matriarch seemed to have disappeared. Jayce was still standing at the foot of the bed, looking rather concerned but there was no sign of Bonnie.

"Jayce, where'd Mom go?" Judy questioned hesitantly; not sure if she'd like the answer.

"Hmmm? Oh! Mom left to go get Nick some water and some pills. She said something about him not looking well," the large buck replied, snapping out of his contemplation.

Judy breathed a sigh of relief while Nick released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _'Well, disaster averted… For now.'_

"Thank you, Nick."

"Huh?" the fox was startled by the doe's soft words. Raising his eyes, he saw that while she appeared timid, she also seemed genuinely happy, a small smile upon her muzzle and her eyes sparkling like precious stones.

The little bunny giggled, a dainty, feminine sound. "I said 'Thank you'. Thank you for trusting me Nick." Judy beamed. "Although, you should have told me from the beginning that your head was hurting again," she admonished gently, yet her smile remained.

"Fluff, I don't like to admit when I'm hurting," the fox grudgingly confided.

"I know," she sighed, her ears falling behind her back as she lowered her eyes.

"Hey, hey, Fluff! No more droopy ears, okay? I'm fine, just a little pain. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Nick joked, trying to cheer the small female.

However, the fox quickly realized the mistake he'd just made.

Emerald eyes widened in surprise, and just a touch of fear, at the angry scowl quickly forming on the rabbit's muzzle, her eyes narrowing. _'Shit! Quick! Change the subject! Say something! Anything!'_

"Uhhh…"

' _Smooth Wilde… Real smooth,"_ Nick thought ruefully, having to resist the urge to drag his paw down his muzzle in embarrassment. _'Uh-oh. Carrots looks really pissed.'_

"Please, Judy, I'm pretty sure your mom's already going to kill me… So truce?" the fox asked hopefully, a timid and pleading look on his face.

Nick could feel his paw pads beginning to sweat as Judy continued to scowl. Finally the little bunny leaned forward with a determined look in her eyes and firmly grabbed a pawful of exposed chest fur that was sticking haphazardly out from his collar. A firm tug had the fox yelping as he was pulled forward, forced to look directly into the stormy purple eyes awaiting him.

"Oww, oww-oww-oww!" Nick yowled. "What the hell, Carrots?!"

But then, Judy was hugging him, wrapping her arms carefully around his damaged body as she buried her face in the ridiculous carrot-patterned cloth covering his chest.

"Ummm… Judy?"

Nick felt a flurry of emotions come over him. Nervousness and worry were the most dominant, followed by a feeling of unease as the little bunny continued to invade his personal space...again. It was one thing when he was the one doing the invading, detached, devious touches meant to disarm and deceive. This couldn't be more different. It was so ridiculously warm, and emotional, and... and genuine. For some reason he couldn't comprehend, this rabbit **wanted** to hug him. It wasn't just the hug either, or just Judy; there had been an almost annoying abundance of comforting paws and gentle touches since he'd woken up.

Ignoring the pain that shot through his injured left side, Nick rolled over unto his back; which inadvertently drug the little bunny unto his lap, since she stubbornly refused to let go of him. Feeling incredibly awkward and self-conscious, Nick glanced over to the large rabbit buck still standing at the foot of the bed. 'Help me!' Nick mouthed silently, sending the buck a pleading look.

Jayce just shook his head, with a scat-eating grin on his face as he watched his sister snuggling up to a fox. _'Yeah yeah, just laugh it up, Thumper.'_

Stiffly, Nick began to pat Judy's back. "There, there, Carrots. Everything is okay," he soothed.

"You know, you're doing a great job playing up the whole 'emotional bunny' bit," the fox teased nervously.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, Carrots?"

"Shut up and let me hug you."

* * *

Several minutes of awkward physical contact later, during which Nick tried valiantly not to show his discomfort, there was a crisp knock on the door. Judy quickly clambered off her foxy seat, shooting a glare towards her brother which clearly conveyed, 'Speak of this, and die.'

"I'm coming in, so everyone better be decent!" came a slightly muffled yell from the other side of the door.

"MOM! Nobody is indecent in here! God, what were you thinking?" Judy cried in horror.

The door slowly opened, revealing a very amused Bonnie Hopps.

"Sorry dear. In a burrow full of bunnies, it's just habit," the Hopps matriarch tittered. Giving a very pointed look towards her son she continued, "A habit that's **very** needed, in a burrow full of bunnies…"

If he wasn't so scared, Nick would've laughed as the large buck spluttered, clearly embarrassed.

"Moooom!" Jayce cried; doing a remarkable job sounding like a petulant teenager.

"Don't you 'Mom' me, mister. You may not be my first kit to be caught with his drawers down and a doe in the room, but that is NOT how I wanted to meet my future daughter-in-law. Or my granddaughter for that matter…" Bonnie replied cheekily with a teasing smile.

"MOM!"

This time the cry came from both her offspring. Jayce's ears were down, the bright red insides proclaiming his mortification, while Judy tried to hide behind hers by pulling the tips down in an attempt to cover her face.

Sharp, barking laughter echoed through the tiny room drawing attention to the bedridden fox, desperately clutching his sides as he laughed uncontrollably.

A few moments later, after his laughter had died down, Nick was tenderly rubbing his aching side. "Owww… That, that was a bad idea" he groaned. "Heh, but you should've seen your faces!" he chuckled, smiling broadly.

The look on Judy's face clearly showed that she thought otherwise.

"Or, maaaaybe not…" Nick drew out.

Just as Judy was preparing to rip Nick a new one, a dull 'thud' cut through the air drawing the attention of the fox and two younger rabbits. A plastic water bottle rolled along the floor, finally disappearing under the bed.

"Mom?" Judy asked uncertainly. Bonnie Hopps was standing in the doorway, ears alert, eyes wide, and nose twitching as her whole body trembled.

"MOM!" Judy rushed towards her mother, but Jayce got there first. The large male quickly took charge of the situation, carefully approaching the older doe.

"Mom? Mom, it's me Jayce… Judy's here too. Mom, can you tell me what's wrong?" he implored gently.

The sound of her child's voice seemed to snap Bonnie out of it. Blinking her eyes she slowly turned to the male bunny.

"Hmmm? Sorry, I must have zoned out for a moment there," Bonnie apologized but something more lingered in the depths of her eyes... embarrassment… and… fear.

"Mom? What's wrong?", Judy questioned worriedly.

"Nothing bun-bun," Bonnie rushed to reassure her daughter.

"Mom…" Judy began; but her mother quickly cut her off.

"I-I brought some water for your friend, and some medicine," Bonnie offered lamely, holding out two rectangular white pills, "I must have dropped the water…"

"Umm, I think it might have rolled under the bed…" Judy said, quickly scanning the room for the plastic bottle. "It's okay I'll get it," Judy said as she walked back to the bed, dropping to her paws and knees, her ears folding back as she searched.

A half-minute of searching later and Judy emerged victorious, grasping the water bottle tightly in one paw. "Got it!"

"Thanks sweetheart," Bonnie said, reaching for the bottle.

"You sure Mom? Maybe you should go sit down for a minute," Jayce advised.

"Oh, hush now. I'm perfectly fine. No sense worrying over me," the older bunny admonished sternly.

Turning her gaze to the male fox who was currently sitting on the bed, his ears flicked back and his lips a thin black line, Bonnie continued in a much more confident voice.

"Besides, I believe I promised our guest a little chat."

* * *

"Now then, if you two wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to our guest alone," the Hopps matriarch stated in a tone which clearly conveyed that it was not a request.

"Mom?" came the unsure voice of her daughter.

Turning back to face her kits, Bonnie replied, "I'll be fine. Now both of you, shoo! And no eavesdropping!" to which she gave Judy a knowing look before returning her gaze to the now terrified fox.

"Jayce, you may wait down the hall, and make sure that your sister stays away. Am I clear?"

To his credit, there was only the briefest of moments that Jayce looked like he was going to argue, before he let out a mumbled, "Yes ma'am."

"Come on Jude, you heard the boss," he called, already heading towards the door.

Taking a deep breath as she raised her paw, Judy prepared to argue why she should be allowed to stay.

"Don't even think about it missy," her mother warned.

Judy's mouth closed abruptly, puffing her cheeks a bit as the air was trapped inside. Pointing towards the open door, she quickly turned heel and followed her brother out of the room. Pausing in the doorway she cast one last sympathetic look towards her injured friend. 'Good Luck,' she mouthed.

"I don't hear you leaving Judith."

"EEP!" Judy squealed, stumbling to shut the door before her pawsteps could be heard rushing down the hall.

Soon the sound faded away entirely leaving Nick utterly alone with an angry mother bunny, one who had him firmly in her crosshairs.

Silently, the matronly rabbit sized up the fox before her. He was clearly still injured, the bright green cast which enveloped his left shoulder and wrapped around his thin chest bore testament to this. From what she'd heard he was in his early thirties, so still quite a bit younger than herself. And in spite of the clear effort he was putting into appearing nonchalant, a tight-lipped but otherwise pleasant smile upon his muzzle, he was obviously terrified out of his mind.

Bonnie smiled pleasantly as she walked straight towards Nick, a sight that sent chills racing along the fox's spine. _'Thank Marian my ancestors can't see me now. A fox cornered by a bunny, and about to die.'_

' _Pathetic.'_

Reaching the side of the bed, Bonnie paused directly in front of the much larger fox.

"Relax, Nicholas. There's no sense in being scared. I just want to have a friendly conversation," the bunny assured; although the fox remained **highly** skeptical of the sincerity of her words.

"Here, I brought you some medicine," she offered, holding out her paw hesitantly which revealed two long, rectangular white pills. "And some water to wash it down."

Extending his right paw towards the offered pills, Nick paused as he noticed the little female's paw was shaking, her eyes nervously darting to the jet-black tips of his claws.

His hesitation did not go unnoticed.

"I'm sorry…" Bonnie said quietly.

"It's fine," the fox mumbled. He was lying through his teeth; his very sharp teeth. However, he figured it was best to keep the peace with his new friend's family. _'Besides, until you get your happy tail back to civilization, you're going to be stuck with these crazy bumpkin bunnies. So better to play nice. They've already made it clear that they out number you…by a lot.'_

"No, no it's not," Bonnie replied. "And I really am sorry. It's no excuse really, but old instincts die hard; kicking and screaming the whole way, or so it seems. Truth be told, I'm still very terrified by predator teeth and claws. But Judy's really opened our minds, my husband's and mine. We are trying to be better."

Nick carefully studied the rabbit's face. While she still seemed uncomfortable, with perhaps a bit of lingering fear, her words seemed sincere. _'Hmmm… Well, at least she's trying. Most mammals don't.'_

"Yeah. She seems to have that effect on mammals," he replied fondly, a genuine smile placed upon his long vulpine muzzle. This time however, he made sure to keep his teeth hidden. _'No sense getting her worked up again.'_

"Yup, that's our little Judy.", the mother rabbit boasted proudly, "Always trying to make the world a better place. Little did her dad and me realize just how much our baby girl could change the world. I swear, you'd never think she was a bunny, so ambitious and brave…"

She smiled, "But I suppose you know all about that first paw, don't you? Judy told us all about that 'little adventure' you two had in the big city. Well, everything she could tell us anyway."

"But here, let's get you taken care of first," again she offered the pills. This time, her paw remained as steady as the warm smile on her muzzle.

Nick carefully reached out, and delicately plucked the pills from the small gray and white paw. Staring quizzically at the small white rectangles now resting upon his palm paw pad, the fox quickly realized what was wrong.

"Umm. Mrs. Hopps? These aren't pain pills."

The news clearly didn't surprise the doe; who simply reached out, offering the bottle of water to the fox. Glancing again at the small pills, Nick carefully read the tiny words engraved along their front. _'Xanox.'_

He could feel the fur along his neck stiffen, raising instinctually. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the bunny, who was staring calmly back at him with a knowing look.

"Like I said, Nicholas, I just want to have a friendly conversation. I don't want you panicking."

* * *

Despite the incredibly awkward silence, Nick was grateful that Bonnie didn't say anything for the sixteen minutes that it took for the medicine to take effect. Instead, the bunny pulled a small, rabbit-sized chair to the side of the bed, and calmly sat down, waiting for the sound of his racing heart to slow.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nick felt a sense of calm wash over him. His worries were still there, but the biting ferocity of those fears had been stripped away; allowing his breathing to even out, his mind to clear, and his heart to cease beating a furious rhythm against his ribs.

Even with the small female beside him serving as a constant reminder of what Nick was sure would be an unpleasant conversation to come, he basked in the temporary stillness, enjoying the peace. His eyes closed blissfully as he relished the welcome reprieve. The thought of taking a nap even briefly entered his mind.

"So. Would you like to discuss what just happened?"

' _Shit.'_ His eyes still closed, Nick sighed, "No."

That one little word carried a much heavier meaning; plainly communicating, 'No. Not now, not later, not ever.'

"Hmmm…" the mother rabbit hummed, pausing briefly to gather her thoughts.

"You know," she began quietly, "it's been said that farmers only worry during the growing season, whereas city folk worry all the time."

"Now truth be told, I don't know much about city folk. But I have raised three hundred and eleven babies, not including grandkits. So I know that saying is complete bupkis. Anyone can worry, and sometimes it doesn't take much to cause a panic. Thinking about it, a lot of bunnies seem prone to panic attacks actually," she shared.

The fox felt himself tense again, not liking where the conversation was headed. Opening his eyes, he saw that the bunny was giving him a knowing look, one that seemed to peer straight through his injured exterior…and right into his equally damaged soul.

"Judging from how hard you were trying to hide it, I'd wager this wasn't your first fit, now was it?" she asked quietly.

Nick withered under the scrutinizing gaze while trying desperately to avoid meeting the amethyst eyes that stared at him so intently; eyes that were too similar to Judy's.

"That's what I thought," she whispered. "Does Judy know?"

Troubled green eyes widened in fear, before carefully searching the thoughtful, kind look the bunny gave him, silently encouraging him to share his burdens. The fox sighed,

"Mrs. Hopps, with all due respect, if I had a problem, which I don't, it would be my own to deal with," he assured, hustler mask slamming firmly back in place with a confident grin.

The mother bunny looked thoughtful for a moment, scrutinizing the fox with an appraising eye.

"Seems to me that keeping worries all to yourself just means sooner or later, they're going to spill over. There's nothing wrong with admitting you need a little help now and then; even if it's just someone to talk to," she advised. "But I won't make you talk if you don't want to, and we can keep this our little secret. Although secrets are such a rare thing in this burrow," she chuckled lightly. "If you happen to change your mind, you can always talk to me," she offered with a motherly smile, "Or to Judy…".

The look she settled on him was a confusing cocktail of irritation, concern, and an aggravating insightfulness. A look that just reeked of motherly concern and discipline; a look which had him suppressing the urge to cower beneath the covers like a little kit.

"Which brings us to our next concern," she was still smiling, but the expression had darkened.

"Judy has explained that you are a very good friend of hers, and that nice police mammal who sent you to us said the same. My daughter has always had a big heart, and she cares deeply. I don't know what's going on between the two of you, or why you've got her so upset, but whatever it is, my kit has shed far too many tears because of you."

Nick's ears drooped in shame upon hearing this; he hadn't realized Judy was crying because of him. _'Dumb fox. Of course she's been crying! She cares too much…'_

His thoughts were interrupted as the mother bunny continued,

"I don't know why you're keeping secrets from my daughter, whether you're trying to keep her safe or happy, or just because you don't think it's her 'problem to deal with'..." she echoed his previous words.

' _Ouch!'_ he flinched.

"Frankly, I don't care why. My daughter wants to help you, and you WILL allow her to. If that means opening up a little, you had better do so. I don't give a moldy carrot about your secrets. Not when my kit's happiness is at stake," she declared.

Her friendly demeanor had completely vanished by this point. Oh, the smile was still there, but it was now a mere pretext, a thin mask veiling her boiling anger. Nick was absolutely positive that the medication he'd eagerly gulped down was the only thing keeping his fear from blooming into another full-blown attack.

Nick gulped. Judy may have proven that bunnies could be fierce, brave, and even scary; but her mother had just shown that they could be downright, bone-chillingly terrifying.

"If you continue to make my daughter unhappy… Well, you've seen the size of Jayce right?" she asked impishly.

The fox nodded numbly once he realized the doe was waiting for a response.

"Well, he's not even my largest son. And I have a hundred and seventy-two sons. All of whom won't hesitate to skin your furry hide and bury your carcass in the back forty if I tell them to, or if they think you've hurt their sister. Understood?" she smiled sweetly.

Nick nodded quickly, not daring to blink.

The mother bunny chuckled, slowly making her way towards the door. Just as Nick thought he was safe, the rabbit paused in the doorway, turning to fix him with one last chilling gaze.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"If I EVER hear you cussing in my burrow again, I WILL wash your muzzle out with soap. As you've already pointed out, we bunnies have VERY good hearing; so trust me, I will know. Now I don't care that you're not my kit, and I assure you, if it comes to it, I won't give a rotten turnip about how sharp your teeth are."

"Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am," he mumbled with embarrassment, his ears struggling to sink lower than they already were, despite the physical impossibility.

"Good. Then I believe we can put this whole conversation behind us now. Enjoy your stay at the burrow, Mr. Wilde. Just let me or one of the kits know if you need anything," she offered cheerfully.

Bonnie paused at the door.

"And remember what I said. If you hurt my kit, in any way, you'll be buried out back before you can even think about running away."

With one last smile she was gone leaving the fox to his troubling thoughts.

' _How the hell am I supposed to tell her?'_


	17. Chapter 2-7: Coming Clean

**Hmmm. Don't really have too many announcements this time.**

 **As always, THANK YOU to Selaxes for editing (geez, you did that fast this time) and THANK YOU to everyone who reads this story. If you like it, please take the time to follow, favorite, and / or review (this last one is my favorite). It seriously makes my day hearing feedback from ya'll, no matter if it's just a few words.**

 **This is the longest chapter by far, and by quite a bit, totaling out at 6,435 words of content. That's quite a bit longer than when I first started out with chapters that were just a couple hundred words. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me this far; I can't even express how much I appreciate it.**

 **Sorry this chapter took three weeks to churn out, it's a little tougher being back in school. That said, I hope the length of this chapter makes up for that a little.**

 **Lastly, if anyone is ever interested in knowing how the next chapter in the story is progressing, I've been trying to keep my profile updated with roughly how far along the newest chapter is. I'll try to do this for every chapter, just so there's a rough idea of how much longer until the next one.**

* * *

 **Well, without further ado (which I now realize I've been misspelling every chapter lol), I present to you Chapter 2-7 "Coming Clean". Please enjoy. 😊**

* * *

Bonnie Hopps was being torn apart.

Not literally of course, that would be absolutely horrifying, but she was being torn to pieces emotionally. Anger was very prominent, fear lingered, all the while sadness and guilt threatened to overwhelm her. The complex swirl of emotion left her leaning heavily against the guest room door, trembling as she struggled to keep from falling apart.

The ever-present, almost overwhelming drive to protect her kit from harm, physical or not, was screaming for her to go back and give that stubborn, secretive fox another piece of her mind and keep doing so until her Judy was smiling again. In truth, all her instincts had been on high-alert ever since the fox had arrived; that constant nagging worry that she had jeopardized the safety of her entire family by inviting a crazed predator into her home, all based on one bunny's trust. But she trusted Judy's judgment, she did. Her daughter may be a bit naïve and optimistic when it came to the world, but she did not make friends with hooligans. Her kit was a good girl, after all, Bonnie thought with pride. However, trusting her offspring seemed to do very little to mollify her fears.

Now, Bonnie Hopps was no fool. She understood that her fears weren't entirely unjustified. That instinctual fear had been ingrained in bunnies for a reason. Evolution had spent millennia fine tuning rabbits into what they were today. Excellent hearing, agility, good parenting skills… which came in handy since bunnies were **very** adept at making more bunnies (the phrase "breed like rabbits" held more than just a grain of truth). These were all qualities that rabbits possessed in spades. But rabbits were also prey… All that speed, those enhanced senses, even having so many kits was designed for the specific purpose of avoiding death and extinction at the paws of mammals whose evolution had taken a very different, very bloody turn… Mammals like the fox currently cowering on the other side of the door.

And that's where the guilt came in…

She was painfully aware that she had just – just **THREATENED** that poor fox! _'Sweet peas and rutabagas…'_ the poor mammal had been brought to her family for refuge and healing, and what had she done? Threatened to have him murdered and buried out back! Like the insane leader of some backwoods, hillbilly, bumpkin cult. And he was Judy's friend to boot!

Despite there being a grain of logic behind her fears and maternal instinct hollering that her anger was justified... Bonnie knew she had completely, and inexcusably overreacted. _'Oh moldy carrots… What have I done?'_ Here she was, trying her best to banish her own lingering prejudices against predators, and she'd just behaved like a–a complete **savage**.

Sure, it wasn't the first time she'd used that exact same threat… but it was usually reserved for… something else; something that clearly didn't apply in this situation. But gosh darn it! That fox was hurting her baby!

And right back to anger…

Bonnie sighed heavily, the sound echoing hollowly throughout the empty hall. _'Well Bon, you know what you have to do now don't you? You're going to march right back in there and apologize! Then you're going to show that poor fox just what Hopps' Hospitality is all about!'_

' _Right after Judith talks to him…_ ' after all, she'd already made a complete rotten turnip of herself…may as well wait and see if fear loosened his tongue a bit. It wasn't a tactic that Bonnie enjoyed or took pride in, but the damage had already been done; she'd do her best to fix her mess soon enough, but in the meantime, she had to hope that maybe, just maybe that fox would bring back her daughter's smile.

Long gray ears fell further down her back as she recalled just how her baby had come back from the big city, dreams shattered and spirit broken. To begin with, her and Stu had been so glad to have their kit back, they'd simply dismissed her droopy ears and gloomy attitude as the result of realizing that her dream just wasn't practical, that a bunny couldn't be a cop. But as the days passed, the joy, the life never returned to Judy's eyes. If anything, her sweet kit continued to fade, until she was just a ghost of the bunny she'd been. She trudged through chores, rarely smiling, and when she did, it felt off, an unconvincing mask on the brink of shattering.

Another weary sigh filled the empty hallway. _'Judy's not going to like this when she finds out…'_

* * *

Unsurprisingly, upon reaching the end of the long and narrow hallway, Bonnie was greeted by the sight of her two offspring; the large male cheerfully fending off his smaller sibling as she tried valiantly to dart around him. The racket they'd been making had reached Bonnie long before, the sound reverberating against the concrete and drywall until it had reached her sensitive ears. As Bonnie watched, Jayce managed to get a firm grip on Judy, slipping both paws under her arms and pulling her in to a wrenching full nelson. Unwilling to actually hurt her brother, Judy was left struggling as she dangled above the floor.

Judy's eyes widened in alarm as she noticed their mother's approach, vigorously renewing her struggle to liberate herself from her brother's grasp with a frantic yell of, "Jayce! You turnip head, let me go!"

Loud, boisterous laughter filled the narrow hall. "Aww come on, Jude! You really gonna turn down a 'hug' from your big brother?"

Amethyst eyes blazed as the small female finally had enough. Swinging her hips forward, the doe lashed out with a hard kick that was angled backwards and a bit sideways, hitting her target with devastating accuracy gained through countless hours of training. Jayce grunted as Judy's rear paw connected solidly with the outside of his knee, striking an outer branch of his fibular nerve dead on and causing his leg to crumple forward as his right knee buckled instinctively. The large buck was thrown off balance, forcing him to release his grip as he struggled to remain upright. The finishing blow came as Judy hooked her rear paw firmly behind his ankle and yanked, hard. Jayce never stood a chance.

Temporarily ignoring their audience, the little gray female sauntered closer to her fallen foe. Leaning forward, she gently placed both her front paws on the broad expanse of Jayce's chest. "Pinned ya again."

For a long moment, the fallen buck's only response was a light groan; however, a rough chuckle followed soon enough. "Holding back again Jude?"

"You know it," she chirped happily. "Otherwise, your knee would probably be shattered."

"Good to know," Jayce groaned. "But did ya really need to knock me on my tail? That hurt," he groused.

"Well you know what they say, 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'." She smirked, "You should have seen some of my sparring matches at the academy. When those rhinos fall, the whole ring shakes."

"Well…" their mother finally intervened, paws crossed over her bosom and a stern look set upon her muzzle. "As terrifying as that thought is, if you two are finally done rough housing, I'd like to speak to Jayce for a moment. Alone."

Although her brows furrowed and her nose twitched irritably, Judy didn't argue this time, sullenly walking towards the exit. She knew better than to try her mother too many times during the same day.

As soon as Judy disappeared through the heavy wooden door, Bonnie leaned heavily against the wall, gently massaging her temples with both paws.

"Soooo… How'd it go?"

Without raising her head from her paws, the older bunny groused, "Hush Jayce, I need to think a moment."

The seconds ticked by slowly, the buck dutifully remaining silent and allowing his mother time to gather her thoughts.

"I did something wrong…"

The voice was timid, barely more than a whisper, and filled with shame. Jayce didn't comment, patiently waiting for his mother to explain.

Gathering a shaky breath, Bonnie continued, "He's been having fits Jayce…Panic attacks."

The large buck merely nodded; he'd had his suspicions after witnessing the fox's reaction to being caught red-pawed mouthing off about bunnies right in front of the Hopps' matriarch. Poor fella had looked absolutely terrified. Jayce's medically trained eyes had caught the slight tremors, while his satellite-like ears had caught the drastic increase in the fox's heart rate as well as his erratic breathing. Unfortunately, such changes in vital signs could have been attributed to either rapid onset of pain, caused for example by a sharp intake of breath agitating mending ribs as the fox had claimed, or severe panic caused by the fox thoroughly cramming his own rear paw into his muzzle. Unfortunately, nursing protocol heavily leaned towards trusting the client to tell the truth, so if the client said it was pain, treat them for pain and keep an eye out for further proof of dishonesty. _'If what Mom's saying pans out, I'll need to tell Mel STAT. See about getting Judy's friend on an anxiolytic…unless…'_

"Those weren't his pain meds you gave him, where they?"

Jayce watched as his mother anxiously wrung her paws together.

"No."

Her gaze dropped a little lower, "I gave him two of my Xanox."

Brown eyes widened in worry, "Mom… You **know** you're not supposed to give those pills to anyone else! You don't share meds. What if he's allergic to what you gave him? What if you're wrong? That's why we have doctors in the burrow," he scolded.

Purple eyes hardened, "Don't you take that tone with me Jaycen Lawrence Hopps! I am still your mother," she huffed.

"Besides, what was I supposed to do? Did you see the look on his face? He was panicking, scared, and **embarrassed** … I didn't think that announcing his problem to the whole room and drawing attention to it was the best way to calm him…"

The look of shame intensified.

"Look, I – I know that what I did wasn't the proper thing to do… But, at the time, it seemed the kindest."

Drawing his paw up his face in frustration, Jayce sighed. "Fine. Let me see the bottle Mom. I'm assuming you still have it on you?" he questioned, extending a paw.

Quickly retrieving the small orange and white bottle from her pocket, Bonnie offered it to her son.

Hastily scanning the label he asked, "And you said you gave him two of these?"

Bonnie nodded in affirmation.

Jayce finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, luckily for us, the dose you gave him **is** appropriate for a mammal his size. I take it he wasn't showing any signs of an allergic reaction, right? No gasping for breath, clutching his throat, itching? None of that, correct? How was he when you left him?" the buck questioned.

The look of shame reached epic proportions, the doe looking as though she just might wring the fur right off her paws, while her eyes lowered, suddenly finding a random speck on the floor to be very interesting.

"Mom? What happened?" he asked gingerly.

She hesitated, the shame and nervousness warring clearly on her face, before her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I-I scared him…"

"Sooo…" Jayce began. "How'd ya scare him? Give him the ol' 'hurt my daughter and I'll sic the Bunny Brute Brigade on you' speech?" he chuckled.

The way the insides of her ears reddened before disappearing all together as they sunk in embarrassment spoke volumes.

Now Jayce knew that it wasn't appropriate, especially considering the implications of what had just been revealed, but the thought of his mother giving **THAT** speech to the fox had him fighting the urge to roll on the ground as deep, belly laughing guffaws escaped his muzzle.

He'd been prepared to face his mother's anger over his little outburst, however, the tears that quickly overwhelmed the older bunny's eyes came as a complete shock to the large male. Luckily his training kicked in, allowing him to take control of the situation despite his rising concern.

"Mom, it's okay… Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened," he soothed, gathering his mother into his arms for a comforting hug, all traces of his former mirth vanished.

"I-I scared him! I scared him, Jayce. That poor mammal was just starting to calm down, and I scared the dickens out of him!" she whispered through her tears. "I was just so…so angry! You've seen how Judy's been acting! Moping around, never smiling. Then she brings home that fox of hers, and despite all the pain and worry, she seemed happier just having him around… taking care of him. I mean heck, if he were a buck, or even a doe for that matter, I'd think for sure that Judy was twitterpated. She was finally starting to be herself again... But then he went and got his marbles back and now they're fighting, and she's angry and crying again! I just want my baby to be happy… But that isn't an excuse for what I did…" She paused to take a shaky breath before looking up at her son with tear filled eyes.

"I threatened him Jayce… And I'm so very sorry that I did."

A few minutes passed in silence as Bonnie struggled to regain her composure.

"Well then…" she began, reclaiming her air of authority as she smoothed her blouse, "Would you be a dear and go check on our guest." The motherly tone, while polite and sweet, clearly conveyed that it was not really a request.

"But, Mom, don't you think…"

"Ah, ah," the mother rabbit interrupted, "Please go and make sure he's alright. I'll be apologizing to Mr. Wilde later. Right now, I'd like to see if he's willing to talk with Judy."

"Uh, okay then…" he conceded, albeit a bit uneasily. His mother was clearly trying to appear casual, but her ears were perked high and quivering slightly at the tips, her nose was twitching furiously and a buck-toothed grin was teasing the corners of her muzzle. Bonnie Hopps was up to something.

As Jayce turned to head back down the hall, Bonnie made her way towards the exit. Her paw on the handle, she couldn't help but smile…

' _If I recall correctly, Judy said something about him being partial to blueberries…'_

* * *

The knock at the door was unexpected, however, it failed to elicit a response from the tattered mammal within. He'd spent what felt like hours trying desperately to come up with a plan that would get Judy off his back while also keeping her happy, but in the end, he was no closer to a solution than when he'd first began.

Technically speaking, he hadn't been doing anything illegal at the time of the "incident", so it wasn't like the truth could hurt him… _'But it would almost certainly hurt her.'_ That bunny had changed something inside of him, rekindling that piece of his soul that had died when he was eight years old, the part of him that yearned to be a good fox. ' _I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful and trustworthy!'_

Lying should have been the obvious answer… but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She believed in him, believed he could be better than what he'd spent the last two decades showing the world, and no matter how he tried, he just couldn't bring himself to betray her like that. _'This is stupid, I barely know her! I shouldn't care what she thinks!'_ But he did. And that was the problem.

Three more knocks at the door, louder this time, the same pattern as earlier, one solitary knock followed by two more in quick succession… _'Jayce.'_

Sure enough, Jayce's voice came filtering through the door, "Mr. Wilde? I'm here to check on you again." The door opened to reveal the large brown buck; a friendly smile set naturally upon his muzzle. A tender worry reached his eyes when he saw the unresponsive fox curled up on his uninjured side, staring blankly at the wall. "How're ya doin' Mr. Wilde?" Jayce asked as he walked into the fox's range of vision.

Without raising his head, Nick held firm to his crumbling walls, placing a tired smile on his muzzle, "Doing just fine Thumper. Pretty tired though… Somebunny keeps coming in here and keeping me awake. And you can stop with that 'Mr. Wilde' garbage, you've already seen Junior and the twins, I think we're well past the point where you can call me Nick."

"Fine, but only if you'll be honest with me," the buck insisted.

"No can do Bunyan, I'm allergic," the fox sassed, a smirk finding its place on his long muzzle.

"Har har, very funny Red. But how about we cut the scat? Mom told me what happened…" Jayce paused after seeing the brief flash of fear in haunted emeralds. "Hey, don't worry. She's made that threat to hundreds of mammals, and I assure you, we're planting vegetables in those fields out back, not bodies."

"Hundreds, huh?" Nick mused.

A small smile lit the bunny's face, "Ha! Yeah, lots of siblings remember. Course up 'til now that particular threat has always been reserved for bunnies who were sweet on her kits."

"Oh, really? And here I thought you bunnies just had a thing for murdering poor, innocent foxes that mistakenly wandered into your burrow. You know, like Leather Muzzle and his family, only cuter," Nick quipped, smirk still firmly in place. "Ha! Just think, big guy, you could be 'Leather Fuzzle'. You've certainly got the 'monstrously big' thing going for you, even if you aren't a hideous, deformed hog."

Jayce's loud, boisterous laughter once again filled the small room, meanwhile Nick struggled to get into a comfortable sitting position, before the large buck helped him out.

"Heh, Jude was right, you do like to run off at the muzzle dontcha? She was wrong about your sense of humor though," Jayce laughed.

Nick raised his uninjured paw to his chest in mock offense, "Why sir, are you implying that your dear sister **doesn't** find me absolutely hilarious? Why, the very idea!"

"Now now, don't get your panties in a twist. I'm sure that you have other qualities that Jude likes just fine… After all, she brought you home," the buck said, a curious look appearing on his face. "Speaking of which, Jude never did say how she knows you; just that you're a good friend."

"Yeah, I guess so…" the fox murmured.

"Sooo… how good of 'friends' we talkin' about Red?" Jayce asked, just a hint of suspicion coloring his words.

"Well, I can't speak for Carrots, but she's definitely important to me," Nick admitted. _'Which is real funny considering we hardly know each other,'_ he thought to himself, a small smile on his face.

"You dating my sister Mr. Wilde?"

" **WHAT!?** " Nick blurted. _'Okay, wasn't expecting that one…'_

"I asked if you were dating Judy?" the buck repeated. Strangely, he didn't appear to be angry, as though the idea of his sister dating a fox wasn't completely abhorrent; in fact, he was smirking just a bit.

Sharp barking laughter once again filled the small room, the fox clutching his side as he laughed at the absurdity. Not only were they complete opposites, they hardly knew each other! _'Heh, that's just crazy!'_

Once he was able to stop laughing, and the resultant throbbing in his side died down a bit, Nick explained, "Uhh, look. No offense or anything, your sister's cute and all, but not my type. Not that I have anything against inters mind you, I've just always been very, I don't know, 'vanilla' I guess? Non-canids just don't catch my interest. Heck, most of the time canids that aren't foxes don't catch my interest."

The buck continued to smile, chuckling a little, "If you say so. I was just wondering why Jude brought ya here. She's never brought a male home before. Figured there might be more to the story than what Judy's been telling us." He shrugged, still smiling, "Just so ya know, I don't have anything against inters either. Wouldn't have mattered if you were dating, just so long as you were good to her."

' _Huh… So much for the bigoted bunny bumpkin stereotype,'_ Nick thought. He was starting to like Jayce more and more, he seemed pretty open-minded and just an all-around good guy. _'Guess it runs in the family.'_

"Well, enough chit-chatting," the buck declared. "I take it you're feelin' a bit better now?" he asked hopefully.

Nick thought about it for a moment. He was much calmer now, just being able to joke around and laugh really helped take the edge off. Didn't change the fact that he still had an elephant-sized problem to deal with… but still. "Yeah big guy, I feel much better. Thanks." He smiled, a warm, genuine smile… seemed he was doing that a lot more often lately.

"Good. Very good," Jayce said. "We do need to have a talk about what happened though."

Nick's ears pinned back. _'Yeah, that sounds like fun. Let's talk about how I've been a pathetic bag of nerves ever since waking up here… How I'm letting the stupidest little things get to me. Oh yeah, real fun.'_

"Or, and here's just a thought, we could **not** do that and pretend that we did," the fox suggested hopefully.

"Or, and here's just a thought, you could answer a few questions for me," Jayce smirked, turning Nick's own phrase back at him.

' _Heh, Thumper thinks he's being slick…'_

"Fine. I may or may not answer some of your questions," he smirked.

* * *

The next twenty minutes consisted of the fox leading the rabbit through a merry hunt for the truth. Evasive answers, half-truths, flat-out lies, everything but the truth. Nick was getting frustrated with all these mammals prying into his life. His headache was starting to return, his ears pinned back in annoyance; honestly, he was starting to get tired of the buck's questions.

"Look bud, I'm not about to start talking about my feewings with some overgrown plush!" he growled, finally having had enough. His eyes widened as the toxic comment left a foul taste in his muzzle; it reminded him of the first time he'd met Judy. _'Shit… Way to make an absolute ass of yourself Wilde...'_

"Hey, Jayce…" Nick began. But Jayce quietly held a paw up, stopping him from continuing.

A small smile, "Hey, it's okay. I understand, and we're good."

Nick nodded gratefully. The next few minutes were spent with Nick grudgingly answering the questions asked of him, honestly, albeit with sparse details. "Yes" or "No" answers were given, and just enough detail for the nurse to do his job. To say that the whole ordeal was exhausting was quite the understatement.

"Well. Halleluiah, it's finally over," Nick smiled tiredly, fatigue evident in his emerald eyes. Maybe it was because his body was still trying to heal, maybe it was the emotional roller coaster he'd been riding since waking, but he was completely exhausted.

"Yeah, glad that's over," Jayce chuckled. "You know, it wouldn't have taken so long if you'd just cooperated from the beginning."

"True, very true. But where's the fun in that?" the fox quipped, his long muzzle curving into his trademark smirk. "In all seriousness though, I'm sorry for being such an ass towards the middle," he said sincerely.

The buck laughed. "It's okay. Believe it or not, but I get it. You're not the most 'touchy-feely' mammal around," Jayce acknowledged, preparing to leave. As he reached the door, he paused, paw on the handle. "Oh, and just so you know, Judy's planning on talking to you soon as I leave," he informed the fox. "If you're not feelin' up to it though, I can try to hold her off until tomorrow, maybe the next day," he offered with a sympathetic look. "But," he continued, "she won't be happy if I do. I imagine you already know this, but that girl doesn't give up."

"I know," came the quiet reply. _'Boy do I know.'_

He'd come to a decision.

* * *

Judy was becoming increasingly impatient; her left foot a gray blur as it tapped furiously on the wooden floor. Looking at her watch for the umpteenth time, she noted that she'd now been waiting outside for exactly fifty-eight minutes and thirty-nine seconds. She wasn't happy that her mother had kicked her outside the guest burrow, again, but all she could do at this point was wait. Her mother had joined her about a half hour ago, _'No doubt to keep an eye on me,'_ she thought bitterly. The older bunny had tried making small talk, bringing up the farm, what various family members had been up to, and again reminding her that roughhousing with her brother was terribly unladylike, but Judy found herself unable to focus on such mundane topics. _'I wish Jayce would hurry up… Uggh! This is worse than trying to watch carrots grow.'_

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her phone made a musical chiming noise followed rapidly by another. Glancing quickly at the screen, Judy hastily unlocked her phone to read the new messages.

[All done in here Jude. Your friend's waiting on you, says you can come in.]

[Also, please go easy on the poor fella.]

A hastily shouted goodbye to her mother and Judy was sprinting for the door as fast as her still healing leg would allow.

"WAIT!"

The frantic shout brought Judy's mad dash to a sudden, screeching halt. Her paw stretching towards the door handle mere centimeters away, she was tempted to just ignore her mother's call, fling open the door, and rush inside. Years of experience stopped her from indulging such a foolish idea.

"Yes, Mom?" she asked, unable to hide her impatience.

Her mother smiled, "If you would dear, I left your friend's lunch in his room, on the dresser. Would you see that he gets it? And please bring the dish back when he's done."

"OKAYWILLDOMOMBYE!" Judy shot-gunned before ripping the door open and escaping before her mother could think of something else that would delay her.

Bonnie chuckled to herself as she watched her daughter rush to her friend. _'Well I'll be, I don't think I've ever seen a bunny so happy to be around a fox… Too bad she doesn't show that kind of enthusiasm around bucks.'_

* * *

Careening recklessly around the last bend in the hallway, a furry grey and white missile hellbent on reaching the guestroom as quickly as possible, Judy was forced to come to an abrupt halt in order to avoid slamming her muzzle into Jayce. Past experience had shown that running into her brother at a high velocity was about as pleasant as banging her head against a brick wall. Her brother might be in the medical profession now, but he was just as solid as when he'd wrestled in college. Moving to dash around her brother's bulk, Judy suddenly found her path blocked by a large brown paw.

"Hey, hey now, Jude, where's the fire huh?" her brother teased earning an impatient glare from his smaller sibling. "But seriously, before you go in there, me and you need to have us a little chat."

"Uggh! I don't have time for this Jayce, move!" she demanded angrily.

"No. Not until you hear me out," he insisted, voice perfectly calm and level despite the noticeable tension in the air. "That fox in there may be your friend Judy, but he's **MY** patient. He's already had Mom scare the scat out of him because I allowed her to be alone with him, and I'll be darned if I allow the same thing to happen twice," Jayce said a touch of anger creeping into his voice.

"You go in there, you have to promise not to yell, pester, or anything else you were planning on doing that would stress him out. He wants to talk to you, that's fine. But he needs to rest if he's going to heal. So don't you go doing anything to make him uncomfortable or upset. We clear?" he demanded.

Judy hesitated, the news about her mother was surprising to say the least. Bonnie wasn't the type of bunny to be confrontational, not unless it involved… _'Oh carrot sticks… the kits, Nemo,'_ she thought, still horrified that her mother knew about that particular incident. A loud cough brought her attention back to the situation at paw. _'Oh, right.'_

"Fine, I won't interrogate him…much," she assured, muttering the last part under her breath.

A cross scowl formed on her brother's muzzle, "Judy…" he warned.

Throwing her paws up in exasperation, Judy yelled, "FINE! I won't interrogate him! You happy now? I'll just leave him alone with his stupid, irritating secrets while he continues to protect that **monster** that **STABBED** him!"

"Judy," the voice was quiet, attempting to calm her clearly ragged nerves, "Judy, you do realize that none of this is fair to him right?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but Jayce cut her off.

"No, hear me out. That friend of yours has been in and out of consciousness, completely out of his mind for two weeks. He finally snaps out of it, and he's in a strange place, surrounded by strange mammals, gets assaulted by a bunch of kits, and then grilled by the finest cop in Zootopia," both of them couldn't help smiling a little at that, ignoring the fact that she **technically** wasn't an officer right now. "Then he gets chewed out by Mom. And now you're wanting to go back in there and chew him out too… **again**."

"Hey! I did not chew him out earlier!" she cried indignantly.

Jayce quirked a brow at her, "Uh-huh, sure ya didn't."

"Look, all I'm asking is for you to not make things worse for your buddy, he's hurting bad enough."

Her ears fell back in shame. _'Ouch, low blow Jayce, low blow.'_ She took a deep, calming breath through her nose, before slowly exhaling with a sigh. "Okay, I promise."

"Siblings honor?" the buck asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

His question had the desired response, a tiny giggle slipping from the stressed female before him. A small smile lit her face as she tittered quietly into her paw; "Sometimes I forget what a giant dork you still are," she teased. "But yes, siblings honor," she pledged holding out her pinky to hook it with her brother's.

"By the way, what did Mom say to him? She wasn't too harsh was she?" she asked, worry seeping into her voice.

The large buck smiled. "Well, she threatened to bury him out back if he hurts you," he chuckled.

Amethyst eyes widened in surprise, "But, but she's only ever…"

"I know. Seems like Mom's making an exception for your fox."

"But why would she? I mean it's not like... We hardly even know each other! Besides, he's a fox!" she winced as the words left her mouth. _'So much for being open-minded Jude,'_ she berated herself. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with him being a fox, but a fox and a bunny together? I didn't think Mom would jump to that," she explained, "Besides, I'm not even interested in dating. You know that. Being an officer is too important to me."

Jayce shrugged, "Apparently, Mom didn't think you two were a couple. Though she did say something along the lines of if he were a buck, she'd swear you had the hots for him."

Judy's ears felt like they were on fire, quickly dropping to hide the scarlet insides from her brother's teasing eyes. "B-But I don't! Sweet cheese and crackers! This is **SO** embarrassing! Please tell me Mom didn't say that to him?! I'll never hear the end of it if she did."

The buck laughed. "Na, I don't think she said anything to him like that. So you should be safe," he assured.

"Oh thank heavens!" she cried in relief.

Jayce just continued chuckling to himself at her reactions, finding the whole situation to be terribly funny.

"Well then, since that's settled, you enjoy your visit, Jude," he said motioning towards the hallway. "I'll be down the hall just a bit, give ya'll some privacy. But if you need anything, just holler."

She nodded gratefully, "Thanks, Jayce. Love you."

"Love you too Jude," he said, beginning to walk away.

Judy eyed the door in front of her as though sizing up an opponent.

' _Alright, deep breath… I've got this.'_

* * *

Nick was sitting up in bed, the covers bunched around his lap, grinning in that roguish way of his. Or at least he was trying to, the expression never reached his eyes. Instead he appeared… worried… as well as positively run-down. It was only two in the afternoon, and the fox already looked drained.

"Hey, Carrots," his voice was quiet, his exhaustion evident.

She studied him carefully for a moment, noting how he was obviously struggling to keep his ears erect, the right one twitching occasionally, his shoulders sagged, and his eyes… his eyes which were normally vibrant emeralds shining with mischief, were now dull and hollow.

"You look tired," she pointed out, heading towards the dresser.

"Yeah, you might say I'm 'dog-tired' right about now," he chuckled weakly.

She smiled as she calmly lifted the now cold casserole dish, before moving to the chair that had been left beside his bed. Ignoring his small flinch at her close proximity, she sat down passing him the large cookware without a word.

"Umm…Thanks?"

Peeling back the foil, the fox stared inquisitively at the contents. Strangely, the dish seemed to be divided in two parts, with a barrier between. One half contained a medley of root vegetables, while the other half contained three large white slabs smothered in a blue sauce. His stomach growled angrily as the scent of food reached his sensitive nose. While Nick wasn't a huge fan of tofu, the sauce smelled absolutely heavenly. _'Mmmm… Blueberries.'_

Looking to the bunny for permission, he found her grinning as she held out a fork. "Can't having you act like an uncivilized heathen in the burrow. Might teach the kits bad habits," she teased.

For the next several minutes, Nick forgot his worries as he gratefully devoured the delicious food. Judy waited patiently for him to finish, not saying a word the entire time. Something struck Nick as odd though, although he couldn't quite put his finger on it… And then he realized, she was sitting less than a foot away from him as he ate, and she was calm. She didn't flinch, tremble, or shy away despite the flashing predatory teeth hungrily feasting right next to her. She'd been telling the truth, she didn't seem to be afraid of him anymore.

His eating gradually slowed as his belly filled. Finally, he returned the dish with a satisfied hum of approval. "That was delicious, Carrots. Your mom make it?" he questioned curiously.

Judy chuckled, "No, my sister Hannah actually made it, mom was just delivering it. I told her you like blueberries. Did you like the sauce?"

"I **LOVED** the sauce, Carrots. Thank you," he said sincerely.

A minute passed in awkward silence as neither seemed to know what to say next. Nick looked nervous again, despite his 'Don't let them see' mask returning. Judy was fighting to keep her promise to Jayce, her curiosity burning her up inside.

Finally, it was Nick who broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Judy. I won't pretend that I know why you care, but I realize now that I've been hurting you by trying to hide certain things. And I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Nick, it's okay… I shouldn't have been prying. You're entitled to your privacy," she admitted grudgingly. "And I care because you're my friend and you're **worth** caring about, Dumb Fox," she smirked.

A tiny smile, a genuine one, curved Nick's muzzle. "You bunnies…"

"Yeah, yeah. Emotional. So I've heard," Judy sassed. Her face suddenly grew serious again, "Look, I won't make you tell me if you don't want to. At least not right now. But I wish you'd trust me with this Nick. If you were doing something illegal at the time, we can just get it cleared up along with everything else. Whatever it is, I promise we'll work it out, together."

Nick sighed, "I wasn't doing anything illegal, Judy, not even remotely."

The little bunny's face scrunched up in confusion, she'd been sure that was why he was being so secretive. "But… Why? Why won't you tell me then?"

Weary green eyes met her searching gaze, "There's two choices here. One, and this is the one I prefer, you accept that this was all just a horrible event and we both move on. Nobody is hurt, everything goes back to normal."

He paused, clearly uncomfortable with continuing.

"And the second choice?" Judy prodded.

He sighed, "The second choice is that I tell you the truth. And honestly Judy, it's going to hurt. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

"I want to know," she didn't even hesitate.

"I'd prefer that you think about it first," he requested.

"Why? It's not going to change my answer."

Nick nervously toyed with the edge of the quilt, gently running the pads of his fingers across the stitching. _'Stubborn bunny,'_ she just couldn't leave well enough alone. Nick had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well. "Fine, I'll come clean about everything."

The gray and white bunny positively beamed with happiness, finally she was going to get her answers! Calming herself a bit and placing an encouraging paw on Nick's shoulder, again ignoring the small flinch, she waited patiently for him to continue.

Slowly, the fox began his tale, "So, I was just sitting there, minding my own business, nothing unusual there. When that little snot-nosed kit smacked my butt. Not just once mind you, but trying for a second hit. I'm not even kidding Carrots, that little punk seriously slapped my ass. Didn't even buy me a drink first. Anyway, that's why the room still smells a bit like bunny pee. Completely and totally not my fault you see."

"Nick."

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, the fox let out a weary sigh, "Yeah… You're right… Guess I can't put this off forever huh?"

"Was worth a shot though."


	18. Chapter 2-8: The Big Reveal

**Hey Everybody!**

 **Sorry for the INSANELY long wait for this chapter; turns out, the last quarter of nursing school is a whole different level of hell.**

 **Anyway, that said, I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your patience and support. Hopefully the coming months will be less stressful with more time available for writing; I really missed this.**

* * *

 **Oh, and before I forget (again):**

 **FAIR WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE LANGUAGE & VIOLENCE AGAINST CUTE, FUZZY ANIMALS.**

 **ALSO, I DON'T OWN ZOOTOPIA (unfortunately).**

* * *

 **ANNOUNCEMENT: For those of you who reviewed the previous "Chapter 18", the announcement page, the site will not allow you to review this chapter. If you'd like, you can post a guest review with your name, and I'll get back to you ASAP.**

* * *

 **Without further ado, here's Chapter 2-8: The Big Reveal**

* * *

When it came to brute strength, there was no denying that foxes were at the shallow end of the gene pool. What they lacked in physical prowess however, they more than made up for with an ingenuity and cleverness unrivaled by most mammals. Foxes had always possessed an uncanny ability to not only survive, but to thrive, to adapt to whatever nature threw their way. Change in the environment? Not a problem. Rise of sentience and civilization? Heck, they did great in the city. Being almost universally despised by the rest of mammal-kind? They'd managed. Being forced to open up emotionally to a cute li'l bunny? _'I'm doomed.'_

Nick's infamous silver tongue and quick wit had fled the moment she had turned pleading amethyst eyes upon him. Unable to lie to the doe, but unwilling to tell the truth, the fox found himself in an emotional limbo as he pondered the events that had paved the path to his own personal hell.

* * *

Less than two days.

That's all it had taken for her to break through the walls that he had spent two decades building to protect himself from the world; walls that had seemed impenetrable, indestructible. Somehow, that tiny rabbit with big dreams had stormed into his life, drop kicked his ego, and unraveled the lies that society had been telling him his whole life, lies that he had come to believe.

Not that he'd made it easy for her. No, he'd fought her tooth and claw every step of the way; impeding her investigation at every opportunity while spitefully mocking her and her dreams. He'd belittled and degraded her, done his best to show her the ugly truth of the world. He'd **wanted** to see her fail, to see her drug down by the same harsh realities that had crushed his own hopes and ambitions.

But had she let him get to her? No, no she had not. Instead, she had turned the tables on him. Somehow, despite their rocky introduction and the canister of Fox Away that had remained at her hip throughout the entirety of their little "adventure", even though they were almost complete strangers, that bunny had gotten to him. She had burrowed deep through all the bitter cynicism and sarcasm until she'd uncovered a glimpse of the real Nick Wilde, the one that life had all but killed, the one he had tried so hard to bury.

He'd done his best to drag her down, and instead she had pulled him up, convinced him that he didn't have to be what other mammals saw, that he could be better. Somehow, that bunny had earned his respect, and more astonishingly, his trust.

Less than two minutes.

That's all it had taken for her to shatter that trust.

He'd been so angry. She'd started to heal him, only to stab him in the back with her careless words and ignorant beliefs. He'd been a fool, he never should have believed her. How could he believe her now, now that she'd made it perfectly clear what she really thought of him? She was just another prey frightened by the big bad predator.

' _Whatever.'_

Angrily, Nick readjusted the large plastic bags he held against his side, rattling the contents within. Today was grocery day, which meant another week's worth of canned meals to supplement the takeout that comprised the bulk of his diet. _'God I miss being able to cook.'_

He frowned, realizing that his ears were down again, showing passerby a clearly troubled fox. Maintaining his mask of calm, collected indifference was becoming more difficult with each passing day. His ears flicked forward as the furious shouts of protesters reached him. It had been seven weeks since the press conference, and the city was in turmoil. Seven weeks since he'd last spoken to her. _'Dumb bunny.'_

A few weeks back, he'd caught a glimpse of her, a small gray and blue blur wedged between two much larger mammals at a peace rally. _'No doubt still trying to make the world a better place. Cause that worked so well for her the first time.'_ , he'd thought bitterly. But when the confrontation came to blows, the large male pig roughly shoving the female jaguar, the gap between the two animals had been enough to afford him a clear view of her. That one, unobstructed view had been enough to reopen every emotional wound, to break his heart all over again. And then she was gone, vanished as the jaguar leapt to her feet, knocking the small rabbit over in the process.

Nick had panicked. Heart racing, he'd ignored the outraged shouts, the disgusted looks, ignored his own forgotten anger as he'd rushed forward through the crowd. He never made it to her. A sea of large, enraged prey reminded him how small he really was, blocking his path. By the time he'd made it around a pair of particularly obese hippos, the situation was under control, and she was gone. He'd walked away… again.

There was no news of her being injured, and he was positive that there would have been if she'd been hurt, but it didn't stop him from worrying. Even though he was still bitter, and justifiably so, he desperately wished that things had gone differently that day at the press conference. He had considered tracking her down, he was pretty sure he could find her at the ZPD; just to make sure she was okay. Their time together hadn't been by any means perfect, but being around her had felt… nice. She had made him feel like he could be trusted, relied upon, that he could be more than just a sly fox. He wanted his friend back, and that scared him. Nick Wilde didn't make friends with bunnies, or cops, and certainly not with bunny cops. Nick Wilde also didn't let things get to him, not anymore… So why did the idea of never seeing her buck-toothed smile again make him feel so sad…

He finally stopped trying to perk his ears; there was no point, they'd just be down again as soon as he stopped paying attention. He was hurting, and if the world took offense at his sorry state, well, the world could just go screw itself. Readjusting the bags one last time, he turned down a familiar alleyway, a shortcut. His tail scraping the ground, lost in thought, he didn't see the shifting shadows that trailed him.

* * *

Judy had come back for him less than a week afterwards, dragging him into yet another crazy adventure. A smile tugged the corner of his muzzle as the last remnants of the unpleasant memory were washed away, replaced by a new feeling, joy. She had come back for him.

That day in the ravine, he'd wanted to be mad at her, had been at first; but as she'd excitedly told him about the latest break in her case, the anger had been replaced with a hurt so intense he'd been forced to retreat. He had foolishly hoped that she'd come back to apologize, to mend the budding friendship that she had broken. He was disappointed, not with her, but with himself, he should have realized that they had never been friends; she was a police officer, and he was just some shady fox who she had blackmailed into helping her. That was it, case closed, nothing more. He was a complete idiot.

She had chased after him, just like she had after the press conference; and just like that day, he'd continued to walk away from her. Angrily reaching into his pocket to paw the small bit of orange and green plastic that had brought them together, albeit unwillingly, he had considered throwing the pen at her; after all, he'd already erased the damning evidence and it might be satisfying to watch. But this time, something made him stop. She was crying, apologizing, laying bare all the hurt and damage she had caused, all the regret she felt.

"… _you can hate me, and... and that'll be fine, because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you, and you..."_

He had stood there, frozen by her words. So she had considered him a friend. Idly, he fingered the small button as she had continued to cry her heart out.

"… _and you can walk away knowing that you were right all along"_

He had almost growled. No, he was done walking away. Paw clenching, he'd pressed the button.

" _\- I really am just a dumb bunny."_

The golden sunshine soaking into his fur couldn't compare to the warmth he had felt at her words, a blaze of emotion that threatened to consume him.

' _She came back.'_

Lying injured in her family's home, Nick considered the consequences of what she expected him to do. He didn't relish the idea of reliving the events of that day, and he especially loathed the idea of sharing those memories with her. But she wanted the truth, and damn if she wasn't hellbent on getting it.

He sighed, _'Well this is just going to be_ _ **loads**_ _of fun…'_

"Last chance Carrots, are you sure you want to do this? It's not exactly a story for a cute little bunny," he half-teased with a troubled smile.

"Nick…"

"Yeah… Yeah, I know," he sighed. "Okay, so here's how this is going to work, I'll tell you about what happened, but there's going to be some ground rules. Rule number one: No interrupting. This is going to be hard enough and frankly I just want to get it over with…"

"Okay," she quickly agreed, clearly impatient to finally learn what happened.

Nick frowned. "Now, now, Fluff. What did I just say? We're not even to the juicy part yet, and you're already interrupting," he teased, the smile never reaching his eyes.

She rolled her eyes, but dutifully remained silent, even as she sarcastically drew two fingers across her muzzle in a "zipping" motion before waving at him to continue.

Her antics were met with an eyeroll of his own, followed by a huff before he continued, "Number two: Absolutely no cops—"

"But Nick!..."

"No!" he scolded, a look of grim seriousness upon his face. "This is NOT up for debate, Judy. Either you promise that this stays between us, and only us, or I won't tell you. I have my reasons, and I need you to trust me on this. No cops."

The look on her face showed how torn she was. How could she get justice for him without involving the police? Why was he so adamant that the monster who did this to him should get away? But if that was the price she had to pay, maybe she could change his mind afterward.

"Okay…" she scowled, clearly unhappy with the requirement.

His features softened. "Thank you," he murmured.

"So… Any other unreasonable rules you want to impose?" she asked, a hint of anger creeping into her voice.

"Yeah… Just one more," he hesitated, glancing down as though he would find courage between the orange and blue stitching of the quilt he was now grasping tightly as though it were his only lifeline in a tumultuous sea.

"And….?" she implored.

His eyes slowly rose to hers, still unsure, "I'll… I'll tell you when we get there."

Gnawing her lip, Judy grudgingly nodded. "Okay."

Nick sighed, closing his eyes as he slumped back against the headboard. _'Can't believe I'm going through with this.'_

"Fine, if you're really going to make me do this, let's just get it over with," he groaned, settling more comfortably against the pillow at his back.

"Our story begins three weeks ago…" he began.

"You're really going to be all dramatic about this?" she snickered.

"Hush rabbit. Rule number one remember? You'll just have to wait until the end to critique my amazing narrative abilities."

"Ahem, anyway. Like I said, our story begins three weeks ago in Sahara Square…"

* * *

' _Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid dumb fox!'_

How could he have been so stupid? So completely, and utterly blinded by false hope that he hadn't seen the noose until he'd willingly slipped it over his neck and swan dived off the edge.

From the moment she'd walked her cute fuzzy-wuzzy tail through that oversized door, that rabbit had done nothing but annoy and irritate him. He'd met her kind before, the type of prey that likes to put on a big show about how they're sooo understanding, completely pro-equality, and definitely not afraid of predators… the kind of prey whose heart races when they see a smiling muzzle full of fangs, still crosses the street to avoid a pred at night… the kind of prey who carries fox repellent to an ice cream shop.

' _Hypocrite.'_

He didn't bother trying to hide the derisive snort that left with his next exhale; alone in a dank alley, a false front was pointless, it wasn't like his shadow cared.

A low, menacing growl echoed through the narrow space. Eyes widening slightly, Nick was shocked at the noise rumbling from his own throat; it had been years since his control had slipped so badly in public. _'Growling only gets you in trouble. Never let 'em see that they get to you.'_ Closing his eyes, he took a few calming breaths, plastic crinkling as his paws tightened on the bags he carried. _'For Marian's sake Nick, get a damn grip! So the rabbit hurt you; so what?! Big whoop! Mammals hurt you all the time. Get over it, bury it just like you bury everything else and MOVE ON.'_

Over the next few breaths, the anger mostly faded, enough so that he grudgingly felt prepared to continue his trek back to his lumpy, cold, and lonely bed.

Sighing, he once again shifted the bags he held, trying to regain some feeling in his paw pads. _'Not too much farther to the station at least.'_

The clattering, scraping of a can rolling along the hard-packed earth reached his ears, causing them to flick backwards towards the noise, even as he became aware of more sound coming from behind him. The weighted 'clop' of an equine hoof, heavy breathing, a muffled pawstep. Then the smell hit him, raising the fur along his spine and causing his tail to bristle in alarm.

' _Shit…'_

A loose board at the end of the alley would provide a quick escape, _'I just have to make it there before these bozos…'_

"HEY, PELT!" a deep voice bellowed behind him.

Ignoring the speciest remark, Nick slowly continued down the alleyway, carefully listening and keeping an eye out for anything useful.

"HEY FOX, HE'S TALKIN' TO YA!" a second voice taunted, the hoofsteps getting closer.

' _Now or never.'_

Tightening his grip one last time, he ran.

There was a brief moment of confused silence before all hell broke loose, angry shouts, the thundering of blood in his ears, the pounding of multiple hooves and paws as they rushed towards him.

Ducking his head just in the nick of time, a bottle whizzed between his ears, shattering as it hit the wall. _'Crap! Crapcrapcrap!'_ A pained yelp escaped him as a rock struck the back of his head, temporarily blinding him as he stumbled, dropping his bags as he fell.

Shuffling steps brought his assailants closer, surrounding him, blocking his escape. _'I knew I shouldn't have left the den today.'_

Plastering a grin on his muzzle, but careful not to show any teeth, Nick slowly rose to his paws, holding his front paws in front of him in a non-threatening gesture. Surveying the situation, he had to fight back the slow rise of panic in his gut. _'Shit, four of them… and two bunnies.'_

Deciding that the rabbits were the least of his worries, Nick carefully examined the other four mammals, all of them wearing the red "PREY 1st!" shirts that were quickly gaining popularity. _'Male pig, pink, about 5'6", 300 pounds. Male donkey, not the small kind either, geez looks like a mammoth breed; damn it. Awww come on! Really?'_ Nick's eyes involuntarily widened as he took in the two muscular, ridiculously huge Boer goat bucks leering down at him; one of them cracking his hooves. _'Great, just great!'_

"Didn't your mama teach you any manners pelt? It ain't polite to ignore mammals talkin' to ya," the donkey sneered in a deep braying voice.

"Of course he wasn't taught manners Jack, his mama's a bitch!" the pig laughed, oinking noisily.

Despite trying to maintain his calm façade, Nick felt himself bristling at the insult.

"Haha, very funny. Especially coming from a guy who can't see his own dick without a mirror and a magnifying glass. How's it hanging porky? Shriveled and buried beneath fifty pounds of bacon?"

The silence was deafening. The pig's eyes narrowed, the smile vanishing from his snout.

Unable to stop himself, Nick continued, "No, no don't tell me; I got this. Your dick's in the fitness protection program, right?" he smiled.

"I'd ask how the missus deals with the disappointment in bed, but hey, Madam Palm and her three sisters can't complain too much huh? After all, they have a tough enough job shoveling food into your fat mouth," he spat venomously.

' _Well that was a great idea.'_

Warily watching the others, Nick noticed one of the goats slip something metal over his hooves, while the other goat and donkey looked ready to jump him at a moment's notice.

"So I'm fat, tell me something I don't know," the pig groused, clearly fed up with the fox's mouth.

Nick smirked.

"Salad doesn't have to be drowned in ranch to taste good."

"WHY YOU LITTLE!"

And just like that, the shit hit the fan.

Dodging a poorly placed swing by his porcine adversary, Nick quickly ducked under the flabby arm.

"You're right, you're right! My bad, guys. I shouldn't make fun of fat mammals." Nick offered, looking directly at the pig. "After all, you might eat me."

Coming up behind his opponent and rapidly striking three jabs right over the larger male's kidneys, Nick's eyes widened in horror. What should have been a painful, crippling blow resulted in nothing more than a heavy jiggle radiating from the impact area. _'Ah, come on!'_

Taking a defensive stance and making sure not to turn his back on the larger mammals, Nick carefully made his way to the side of the alley.

"Ok guys, seriously now. You've done a great job at the whole 'intimidate the smaller mammal' thing, but how about we just call it a draw? You took a swing at me, I took a swing at you; no harm, no foul right?" Nick tried reasoning, slowly reaching behind his back.

"FUCK YOU FOX!" the pig bellowed.

"That's a no," Nick muttered, eyes hardening as the pig rushed forward in an attempt to throttle the insolent canid. Feinting to the right just before the pig reached him, Nick jumped up, landing precariously on a trash can lid.

 _ **!CRACK!**_

The male pig stumbled, dazed, before crashing heavily to the ground. Standing on his trash can, Nick hefted the remaining half of the heavy wooden plank he'd found. "I'm only going to suggest this one more time fellas, BACK THE FUCK OFF!" he snarled.

* * *

"Nick, is this story real?"

"Hush you, of course it's real. And what did I say about interrupting? Geesh, you bunnies, so skeptical."

"Har har. But seriously Nick, this happened?"

"Yes, I really went all Captain Cave Mammal and clobbered that fat jerk with a club. Can I continue my story now? Good, because I was just getting to the part where I was almost on the receiving end of a very unpleasant dog pile."

* * *

Jumping off the trash can just as one of the goats crashed into it, Nick used the larger mammal's head as a springboard, using the increased momentum to drive the edge of the plank right into the base of the buck's skull.

 _ **!CRACK!**_

Landing safely behind the Boer, Nick surveyed his work. _'Damn it. He's a goat.'_

Slowly turning, muscles rippling, the goat laughed deeply, "Boy, if you think that's gonna' work…"

Nick swung again. A muffled impact and the alley exploded with thunderous, pained bleating as the large buck fell to his knees, clutching the broken area between his legs.

Turning to face the others, Nick noted with satisfaction the horrified looks on their muzzles, the other Boer going so far as to cover his own bulge protectively.

Dropping the ruined remains of his makeshift baton, Nick patiently waited for the next attack. He didn't have to wait long.

Brandishing illegal brass hooves, the remaining Boer rushed towards the fox with a bleating war cry, attempting a vicious swipe at his head. Flanking the smaller mammal, the donkey attempted a similar strike at the same time. Ducking low, Nick smirked with satisfaction at the crunching sound that came as the donkey's wrist shattered.

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!" the donkey howled in pain, attempting to slap his companion with his remaining good hoof.

Quickly slipping between the larger equine's legs, Nick desperately searched for a new weapon. Eyes lighting up, he darted down the alley, back towards his original escape.

"What's the matter FOX?" the Boer spat, "Running with your tail between your legs back to your bitch mama?"

Slowly turning to face the taunt, Nick smiled, a dangerous smile that was not the least bit friendly, a smile that showed a great many pointed teeth.

"Not at all, my good mammal, I just wanted to collect my groceries before I forgot them," he replied easily, jiggling the plastic bag for emphasis.

Briefly sharing a confused look, the Boer was the first to jump back into the fray, charging horns first towards the smaller fox. Warily, the donkey followed suit. Diving to the side, Nick dodged the Boer, popping up behind him. Facing the behemoth donkey, Nick stared down the mammal easily three times his height. Dashing forward, before the larger mammal could react, Nick swung, the full weight of multiple canned goods crushing into the equine's canon bone with cracking force.

Bellowing in pain, the donkey fell to the ground, clutching his fractured shin.

' _Well, he's not getting up anytime soon.'_ , the fox thought smugly, right before his world was sent spinning.

Crashing into bags of trash was revolting, but at least it was better cushioning than the hard brick wall. Wincing, he gingerly touched a finger to his side, _'Shit, definitely broken.'_

Deep laughter filled his ears, the kind that reminded him of Finnick…only worse, dangerous, deadly. Vision still a bit blurred, Nick slowly raised his head. More than twice his size, and at least two hundred pounds, the brown and white Boer towered over him; reminding him how pathetically puny he was. Still laughing, the buck reached forward, yanking the fox off the ground by his scruff. Yipping in pain, Nick turned bleary eyes towards his assailant.

"Any last words pelt?" the goat sneered, raising his brass-covered hoof menacingly.

"Yeah," the fox slurred, starting to have trouble breathing through the pain.

Raising a questioning brow, the goat laughed. "Well then, let's hear it fox. Let's see you talk your way out of this one."

Coughing, the fox mumbled something incoherent.

Laughing, the Boer raised Nick closer to his ear, "A little louder, slick. I think you may have a collapsed lung. That always makes the talkin' difficult."

"I said, I'm done talking."

Swinging forward, Nick bit down on the floppy brown ear, bit down hard. Shaking his head back and forth viciously, ripping through flesh and cartilage, ignoring the screams; he clawed at the side of the larger male's face, sinking his claws into delicate flesh even as he continued to mangle the Boer's ear until he was roughly shoved away.

Falling to the ground, Nick's breath escaped him a 'whoosh'.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU LOUSY FUCKING PELT!"

"Yeah, yeah. Like I haven't heard that before," Nick quipped weakly, now leaning heavily against the alley wall. Still winded, Nick watched as the large buck charged, horns lowered, a killing blow… Easily sidestepping the rage-blind male, Nick smirked.

 _ **!CRACK!**_

The Boer ran straight into the wall, snapping off half of his right horn, and causing him to stumble drunkenly before collapsing to the ground.

"Heh-heh. Oldest trick in the book."

Groaning, Nick glanced around. _'Fat ass is out, so is jack ass and the two dumb-dumbs… That just leaves… Ah... There's the bunny.'_

Trembling on top a dumpster, a grey and white bunny stood, phone in paw, recording.

' _No, black and white,'_ he realized, a pang of sadness coursing through him, _'Dumb fox.'_

Slowly approaching, Nick held out his paw. "Hand over the phone, and LEAVE," he growled, showing his canines.

"Eeep! Ah, yeah sure, sure thing!" the bunny squeaked, quickly dropping the phone and scurrying off the dumpster. Keeping a wary eye on the fox, the male rabbit scampered away from the bloody scene, down the alley, and out of sight.

Chuckling, Nick winced as pain flared through his broken ribs.

"Well, I'm glad somebody decided to be reasonable," he said to no one in particular.

Moving slowly, he gathered up his dropped groceries, carefully stepping around the injured and unconscious mammals. Spotting a can of tuna that had rolled beside a crate, Nick gingerly stooped to retrieve it.

"Wait a minute… Wasn't there two…"

Even as the words left his muzzle, the muffled sound of fur over packed earth reached his ears as pain exploded throughout his back, every nerve shrieking in agony.

His legs unable to support him, Nick fell to the ground. Whining, Nick felt his vision fading fast as he stared up at the forgotten bunny; a grey and white buck, a bloodstained knife held in his trembling paw.

' _Shit…'_


End file.
